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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/dec/17/rotherham-sex-abuse-trial-complainant-accused-of-jumping-on-bandwagon
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| Rotherham complainant accused of jumping on sex abuse 'bandwagon' | Rotherham complainant accused of jumping on sex abuse 'bandwagon' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The central complainant in the Rotherham grooming trial has rejected claims she “jumped on the bandwagon” and invented a decade of abuse following a report into child sex exploitation in the town. | The central complainant in the Rotherham grooming trial has rejected claims she “jumped on the bandwagon” and invented a decade of abuse following a report into child sex exploitation in the town. |
| The alleged victim, named only as Girl B, was challenged about inconsistencies concerning dates, locations and the type of abuse she detailed in four police interviews in 2014 and 2015. | The alleged victim, named only as Girl B, was challenged about inconsistencies concerning dates, locations and the type of abuse she detailed in four police interviews in 2014 and 2015. |
| The complainant, now 36, told the court she was telling the truth, saying two lawyers questioning her did not know what they were talking about. | The complainant, now 36, told the court she was telling the truth, saying two lawyers questioning her did not know what they were talking about. |
| Giving evidence in Sheffield crown court about her alleged suffering at the hands of two of the main defendants, Arshid Hussain and Sajid Bostan, Girl B said: “I am standing by what I said.” | Giving evidence in Sheffield crown court about her alleged suffering at the hands of two of the main defendants, Arshid Hussain and Sajid Bostan, Girl B said: “I am standing by what I said.” |
| In sustained questioning, Zaffar Khan QC – defending Hussain on 29 counts of child sex exploitation including rape, indecent assault and procuring a girl to have sex with another – said to Girl B: “You jumped on the bandwagon of complaints others had made.” Girl B replied: “It’s all right for you [to say]. None of these things happened to you.” | In sustained questioning, Zaffar Khan QC – defending Hussain on 29 counts of child sex exploitation including rape, indecent assault and procuring a girl to have sex with another – said to Girl B: “You jumped on the bandwagon of complaints others had made.” Girl B replied: “It’s all right for you [to say]. None of these things happened to you.” |
| Challenged a second time by David McGonigal, counsel for Bostan, Girl B became angry. “I don’t care what you think,” she said to McGonigal. “I’ve lived with this for 20 years, you haven’t. You’re here for seven months to get paid to get him away for it and you can have a nice happy life.” | Challenged a second time by David McGonigal, counsel for Bostan, Girl B became angry. “I don’t care what you think,” she said to McGonigal. “I’ve lived with this for 20 years, you haven’t. You’re here for seven months to get paid to get him away for it and you can have a nice happy life.” |
| The alleged victim also named a police officer to whom she said she had reported being abused. | The alleged victim also named a police officer to whom she said she had reported being abused. |
| The jury has previously been shown hours of police interviews in which Girl B said she was in and out of care as a teenager, had been sexually abused since the age of 11 and was forced to have sex with Hussain more than 100 times. | The jury has previously been shown hours of police interviews in which Girl B said she was in and out of care as a teenager, had been sexually abused since the age of 11 and was forced to have sex with Hussain more than 100 times. |
| Asked by Khan why she had waited 15 years to report the alleged crimes against her, she said she had done so as a teenager but that her pleas were ignored. | Asked by Khan why she had waited 15 years to report the alleged crimes against her, she said she had done so as a teenager but that her pleas were ignored. |
| “Is the truth of this that you told lies about the incident and later when it came to recording the lies [in police interviews in 2014 and 2105], either you [had] forgotten the lies, or embellished or you made up more lies?” he asked her. She replied: “No.” | “Is the truth of this that you told lies about the incident and later when it came to recording the lies [in police interviews in 2014 and 2105], either you [had] forgotten the lies, or embellished or you made up more lies?” he asked her. She replied: “No.” |
| “Why did you not report the abuse you are alleging [at the time],” Khan asked. | “Why did you not report the abuse you are alleging [at the time],” Khan asked. |
| “I tried on one occasion, police said they would come back and get in touch with me,” she said. | “I tried on one occasion, police said they would come back and get in touch with me,” she said. |
| “So there should be a record with police of that contact?” he asked. | “So there should be a record with police of that contact?” he asked. |
| “Yeah, there’s a complaint about him in at the moment,” replied Girl B. | “Yeah, there’s a complaint about him in at the moment,” replied Girl B. |
| Intervening, the judge, Sarah Wright, asked her if she could remember the name of the police officer to whom she reported the abuse, and Girl B replied: “Kenneth Dawes.” | Intervening, the judge, Sarah Wright, asked her if she could remember the name of the police officer to whom she reported the abuse, and Girl B replied: “Kenneth Dawes.” |
| Khan asked why she did not go to police again if the officer had not come back to her and she said: “I took it to court and nothing got done about it; why would you believe anything would be done about it again?” | Khan asked why she did not go to police again if the officer had not come back to her and she said: “I took it to court and nothing got done about it; why would you believe anything would be done about it again?” |
| Over five hours of cross-examination by five defence barristers, Girl B became agitated by the line of questioning. | |
| She reported a separate, unidentified, incident to the police in 1995 and was asked why she didn’t use this opportunity to report the sexual assaults. | She reported a separate, unidentified, incident to the police in 1995 and was asked why she didn’t use this opportunity to report the sexual assaults. |
| Referring again to Kenneth Dawes, she said: “Once I told that officer, nothing happened, nothing happened. I told my mum, nothing happened, I told the care home, nothing happened, why would I tell anybody else if all I am going to do is get called a promiscuous girl?” | Referring again to Kenneth Dawes, she said: “Once I told that officer, nothing happened, nothing happened. I told my mum, nothing happened, I told the care home, nothing happened, why would I tell anybody else if all I am going to do is get called a promiscuous girl?” |
| As she became more angry, one barrister turned to her to say: “You are quite able to stand up for yourself aren’t you?” | As she became more angry, one barrister turned to her to say: “You are quite able to stand up for yourself aren’t you?” |
| She told the court she was “messed up” from the ages of 11 to 26, had eating disorders, had mental health problems, and had tried to commit suicide. “Only in the last six or seven years, I’ve got better in my health.” | She told the court she was “messed up” from the ages of 11 to 26, had eating disorders, had mental health problems, and had tried to commit suicide. “Only in the last six or seven years, I’ve got better in my health.” |
| All seven defendants in the case deny all 52 counts including rape, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape, false imprisonment and procuring a woman for prostitution or sex with another. | All seven defendants in the case deny all 52 counts including rape, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape, false imprisonment and procuring a woman for prostitution or sex with another. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |