A TEENAGE GIRL allegedly abused by seven men slept with a knife under her pillow to defend herself, a court heard last week.
At Bradford Crown Court, the seven suspects (all of whom are of Asian origin) have been arrested with 17 charges against them, which they deny. Most of the alleged offences took place at the girl’s home in Keighley between 2008 and 2009.
Six of the men are accused of rape, with the seventh charged with intentionally inciting a girl aged under 16 into sexual activity.
Opening the case for the prosecution, Kama Melly QC said the abuse often took place when the girl’s mother was out at work and she was “alone and unsupervised”.
She told the jury: “We say these men were aware of her situation being home alone, being vulnerable, and went on to use that to abuse her sexually.”
The court heard a significant part of the evidence will come from recorded police video interviews with the victim, who has a legal right to anonymity.
The prosecution said the abuse was “often fuelled” with alcohol and cannabis and sometimes “a degree of physical force” was used.
Melly continued: “She described how males came to her house, she often felt frightened and didn’t know how to stop them. She described how she had taken to sleeping with a knife under her pillow.”
The jury was told she was abused by one defendant in a bandstand at Cliffe Castle and in an alleyway near a train station.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.
Dignitaries and officials gather on stage
Attendees fill the hall for the celebration
John Denham