Two 12-year-old boys, who attend a state school have been accused of assaulting an 11-year-old girl at school a few weeks ago, the Times of Malta reports.

The Times said it was made aware of the situation but decided not to revealed the name of the school in order to protect the identity of the students concerned.

A magisterial inquiry has been ordered into the matter by the by the ministry for Education after a police report had been filed.

The boys allegedly touched the girl's breast and thigh between 7:00 am and 8:00am just before lessons started.

The newspaper said that normally during those hours there are teachers supervising classes and corridors together with the playground.

As soon as the situation came to the school's attention, guidance teachers and teachers of personal and social development (PSD), who are skilled in handling such situations, were requested to step in.

The boys' parents were contacted after a preliminary inquiry established that the incident had occurred, and they were promptly suspended indefinitely, the newspaper reports.

In accordance to current laws children under 14 cannot be held criminally liable, however according to legal experts their parents might be. Additionally, the legal age of consent is 16.

A spokesperson for the ministry informed the Times of Malta that as soon as it was made aware of the situation it launched an internal investigation.

Additionally, the internal inquiry is expected to produce recommendations to prevent similar future situations.