Boy, 15, charged over Cairns rape

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with dragging a young woman off a Cairns street and raping her.

The 22-year-old victim was walking home along Mulgrave Road about 4am on Sunday when she was attacked. She was forced into a concealed area and raped.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with rape, sexual assault and deprivation of liberty. He'll be dealt with under the Youth Justice Act.

Detective Acting Inspector Glenn Horan said the young woman had endured a harrowing experience.

"She was on her way home, minding her own business," he told The Cairns Post.

"The young girl did nothing wrong."

The paper said the accused teen had been walking with other people in the Mulgrave Road area when he left the group and allegedly attacked the woman, who sought help at a nearby service station.

The victim was treated in hospital for minor injuries.