Rotherham abuse trial: Woman denies lying about childhood rape

Eight men are on trial charged in connection with the sexual exploitation of girls in Rotherham

A woman who told police she was raped when she was 13 years old has denied making up the allegation.

Eight men are on trial charged in connection with the sexual abuse of three girls between 1999 and 2003.

The men, who are accused of rape, indecent assault and other offences, deny the charges.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was giving evidence at Sheffield Crown Court.

The woman said when she was 13 she was raped by Sageer Hussain and Ishtiaq Khaliq.

When questioned by defence barristers, she denied making up the claims in order to make money.

'A lot of trouble'

Mr Hussain's barrister, Kitty Taylor, asked the witness why she had lied to her parents about being with friends from school when she was in fact spending time with older boys and men who she says sexually exploited her.

The woman said she had initially lied to her parents in early 2003 when she started associating with older Asian males with her friends.

Mrs Taylor said: "You had to make up you had been raped to explain what you had really been up to in the last month.

"If you told the truth about who these Asian lads were, you knew you would have been in a lot of trouble."

The witness said: "No, I was raped. "

Later in evidence she admitted lying to police in interviews with them in 2003 about whether she was taking drugs.

She said she thought if she had admitted she had been given drugs she would have been in trouble.

She said she had withdrawn a complaint to police about having been raped and sexually exploited because the police would not offer her any protection and had lost the clothes which could have provided DNA evidence.

The trial continues.

Eight on trial

• Sageer Hussain, 30, of Clough Road, Rotherham, denies four rapes and one indecent assault

• Mohammed Whied, 32, of Psalters Lane, Rotherham, denies one count of aiding and abetting rape

• Ishtiaq Khaliq, 33, of Cherry Brook, Rotherham, denies one rape and three indecent assaults

• Waleed Ali, 34, of Canklow Road, Rotherham, denies one rape and one indecent assault

• Asif Ali, 30, of Clough Road, Rotherham, denies one rape

• Masoued Malik, 32, of Bridgewater Way, Rotherham, denies one rape, one count of conspiracy to commit indecent assault and one of false imprisonment

• Basharat Hussain, 40, from Goole, denies one indecent assault

• Naeem Rafiq, 33, of Clarendon Road, Rotherham, denies one count of conspiracy to commit indecent assault and one of false imprisonment.