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Rotherham child sex trial: Teenager forced to have abortion after being raped in forest, court hears

'She was passed from one group of Asian males to another'

Jon Sharman
Wednesday 05 September 2018 05:38 EDT
The trial is taking place at Sheffield Crown Court (File photo)
The trial is taking place at Sheffield Crown Court (File photo) (Google Maps)

A teenage girl from Rotherham was forced to have an abortion by her parents after being raped by a number of men who told her they would abandon her in a forest if she did not comply, a court has heard.

A Sheffield Crown Court jury was told that the girl, aged about 14 at the time, was driven to Sherwood Forest by Nabeel Kurshid and Iqlak Yousaf along with a third man some time between August 2002 and August 2003.

The aftermath of the rape and subsequent abortion caused the vulnerable teen serious ”psychological trauma”, jurors heard.

Michelle Colborne QC, prosecuting, said the girl had been given cannabis before the attack and was “high as a kite”.

She said: “Each defendant took turns in having sex with her. She was warned she had to do what she was told or she would be left there.”

Ms Colborne said the girl was bitten during the alleged attack, leaving marks on her neck.

She said: “The defendants ensured her compliance by giving her drugs and threatening to abandon her in the forest.”

The prosecutor added on Tuesday: “She became pregnant as a result of the group rape. Her parents forced her to have a termination. She suffered a great deal of psychological trauma as a result.”

Ms Colborne told the jury that the teenager, who is now in her 30s, was vulnerable and had a history of being exploited.

“She was passed from one group of Asian males to another and, over time, was very seriously abused.”

The prosecutor said the girl’s parents found out about the alleged exploitation but were unsupportive. They are said to have verbally abused their daughter and locked her out of the house when she arrived home late.

Mr Kurshid and Mr Yousaf both deny rape.

Additional reporting by PA

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