Abused girl passed around 'like a piece of meat', jury told

A woman who alleges she was traded to men and sexually abused from the age of 12 repeatedly thought about taking her own life and claimed teachers did not intervene when rumours about her went around her school, a jury has heard.

The woman alleges she was forced to perform sex acts, raped , and urinated on by one of the alleged attackers.

Five men are on trial at Birmingham crown court over offences against her that allegedly took place in the Telford area of Shropshire. The prosecution alleges that as a girl she was passed around “like a piece of meat” until her mid-teens.

On Wednesday, jurors watched a video-recorded interview with the alleged complainant, in which she told detectives of her two years of “hell” and said she repeatedly contemplated taking her own life as she was traded to different men for “months and months”.

She said her family knew nothing at the time but added that rumours went around her school.

“I don’t know how people found out, but they did,” she said. “I wouldn’t say I was bullied for it, but I would get called names. It just made me keep it to myself even more.

“Even the teachers heard people saying these things and not one teacher pulled me to the side and asked me if things were all right. I was too scared to go and ask for help. But nobody said a word.”

She said that years after the abuse ended, she recognised photos of two alleged attackers, Mohammed Ali Sultan and Tanveer Ahmed, from press reports on the so-called “Telford sex ring” investigation.

Asked why she did not tell anyone what happened until years later, she replied: “I think I had just had enough. I kept it to myself for all these years. Why should somebody be able to do them things and get away with it? Still to this day it goes through my head, all the time.”

Barrister Anthony Barraclough, representing Ali Sultan, asked the woman as she gave evidence in court from behind a screen, if she had “lied” about one of the alleged rapes, after telling the jury there was evidence his client was in Pakistan at the time.

She replied: “I know what he did,” and added: “It’s about getting justice.”

Opening the case on Monday, Michelle Heeley QC said the victim was sold for sex, first by Ahmed, who “befriended her” during a low point in her life. Jurors heard that Ahmed, who did takeaway deliveries for Perfect Pizza, was not on trial having been deported to Pakistan for unrelated offences.

Later, the girl came into contact with Ali Sultan, 33, formerly of Telford, who the victim also alleges sold her for sex and abused her. Ali Sultan is facing two charges of rape and three of indecent assault. The jury was told he had convictions for “similar offences against young girls”.

The other men on trial are Amjad Hussain, 38, of Telford, who is accused of forcing her to perform oral sex on two separate occasions. A third man, Shafiq Younas, 35, of Wellington, near Telford, is accused of orally raping her.

Another man, Nazam Akhtar, 35, of Wellington, has been charged with rape. Also on trial is Mohammad Rizwan, 37, of Telford, who jurors heard also worked at Perfect Pizza and allegedly forced the girl to perform sex acts.

The men deny all the charges and the trial continues.