A defendant charged with rape and sexual assault offences against children in Hull and Southampton has died, a court has heard.

Maddison Wilson had been due to appear at Southampton Crown Court to face charges of rape of a girl under 13 and causing a girl aged five to engage in sexual activity which were both alleged to have taken place in Hull, in 2011.

The 37-year-old, of April Square, Portsmouth, had also been charged with the sexual assault of a three-year-old boy and causing a boy aged three to engage in sexual activity with both offences alleged to have taken place in Southampton in 2017 and 2020.

Matthew Lawson, prosecuting, told the court: "The defendant is now deceased. I have seen an interim death certificate.

The defendant has died, the court heard.

placeholder image — The defendant has died, the court heard.

"In the circumstances the matter must be discontinued."

In court Judge Nicholas Rowland referred to the defendant as 'mister' while the court list for a previous hearing at the magistrates' court referred to the accused as female.

Judge Rowland, who had not been aware of the defendant's death ahead of the hearing which had been set as a plea and trial preparation hearing, said: "I haven't had any sight of the correspondence concerning Mr Wilson."

After the hearing, Mr Lawson said: "The case will be discontinued administratively because an indictment hasn't been laid."

The defendant had previously attended a preliminary hearing at Southampton Magistrates' Court on February 12 .

According to the list of recently opened inquests held by the Hampshire coroner, Wilson died on February 14 at East Battery, Castle Field, Clarence Esplanade, on Southsea seafront.

A hearing was held to open the inquest into their death on February 21 and a full inquest has been listed to be heard on January 20 2026.

A spokeswoman for the Hampshire coroner's office said: "The provisional cause of death is hanging, to be investigated."