Oxford exploitation trial: Girl's father 'pleaded for help'

Nine men are accused of sexually exploiting six girls, aged between 11 and 15

The father of a schoolgirl allegedly abused by a group of men in Oxford pleaded with police and social workers for help, a court has heard.

The man said his daughter, then 13, would go missing and return home in men's clothing, the Old Bailey heard.

The girl was one of six alleged victims of nine men accused of grooming and exploiting children in the city.

The men, from Oxford and Berkshire, deny 51 counts relating to girls aged between 11 and 15 from 2004 to 2012.

Giving evidence, the girl's father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, broke down as he described how she would return home in a filthy condition.

'Heartbreaking'

On one occasion he asked police to take clothes for forensic examination but they refused, the jury heard.

The girl had begun to lose weight and would have nightmares in which she would scream "get them off me", it was heard.

Her father told jurors he was warned by police to stop searching Oxford late at night looking for his daughter and claimed officers knew where she had been.

The family pleaded for her to be placed in secure accommodation by social services to stop her disappearing.

"Under normal police protection she continued to be abused," the father said.

"It was a heartbreaking thing to do."

The trial is expected to last until April. The defendants, who are all in custody, are:

• Kamar Jamil, 27, formerly of Aldrich Road, Oxford

• Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, Oxford; and his brother Anjum Dogar, 30, of Tawney Street, Oxford

• Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashurst Way, Oxford

• Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Oxford; and his brother Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Oxford

• Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Oxford

• Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Oxford

• Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead