Two Afghan men on trial for raping autistic girl, 14, on Kent train
Two Afghan migrants face 20 charges after allegedly raping and assaulting a 14-year-old autistic runaway on a London-bound train in Kent. Fellow passengers did not intervene.
Afghan men deny 20 charges over alleged rape of autistic teenager on Southeastern service
Two Afghan men have gone on trial accused of raping and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old autistic girl on a London-bound train in Kent, as fellow passengers looked at their phones and did nothing, Inner London Crown Court has heard.
Baryalai Rahimi, 25, of Southall, west London, and Mirebadurahman Sadat, 29, of Cricklewood, north-west London, together face 20 charges, including multiple counts of sexual activity with a child. Both deny all charges. Dailymail.com reports that the alleged offences took place on 5 February on a Southeastern service.
The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told police in a recorded interview played to jurors that the two men spotted her at a rural station in Kent and followed her onto the train. She said Rahimi, who called himself "Sandine", complimented her appearance on the platform and repeatedly tried to place his coat around her shoulders while Sadat watched from a distance.
"At the start, I thought he was being nice, but then he kept saying it," she told officers. "I thought, 'You're getting a bit too much now.'"
She said Rahimi forcibly kissed her before they boarded, and that she tried to resist. "He was standing over me and I was trying to say no," she said. "I felt like the kiss was a bit much."
'He laughed when I said I was 14'
Once on the train, the girl said Rahimi asked her to sit on his lap within five minutes of departure. Asked why she complied, she told investigators: "I don't know. It's a bit hard for me to say no to men. He's bigger than me, stronger, and I can't do anything. I just like to do what people want so it keeps me out of a dangerous situation."
She said she had told Rahimi her age and that he laughed in response. When asked by officers about consent, she said: "Two people wanting to do it," adding that she had not consented to any sexual contact. "Obviously, if I say no it's going to put me at risk and I'll end up getting hurt, so I can't really say no."
Jurors were shown CCTV footage of Rahimi leading the girl past several commuters towards a toilet cubicle. The prosecution alleges he raped her three times inside. Asked what other passengers were doing, the girl replied: "No one was really looking at us. Everyone was just on their phones."
She described becoming distressed during the alleged assault because it "really, really hurt". Afterwards, she said, Rahimi washed his hands and instructed her to wait two minutes before leaving the cubicle. He then apologised before raping her again, she told police.
Second defendant followed girl into toilet, jury told
The girl said Rahimi told her of Sadat: "We share everything. We share girls, we share drinks." He then allegedly left her with Sadat, who is accused of assaulting her twice.
She told officers Sadat tried to persuade her to enter the toilet with him. "I was shaking my head saying no because obviously I didn't want to go," she said. CCTV shown to the court depicted the girl entering the toilet alone before Sadat followed and attempted to open the door, the court heard.
Defendants deny all charges
After their arrest, both men gave prepared statements to police. Rahimi said: "I asked the female her age and she told me she was 17 years old. She looked 17 to 18 years old, so I believed her. The female was the one who was very forward. What happened was all started and instigated by her and was consensual."
Sadat said: "Although I have some memory issues, I did not do what I am accused of. I deny these offences."
Rahimi denies three counts of rape, two of sexual assault, one of assault by penetration and six alternative counts of sexual activity with a child. Sadat denies two counts of assault by penetration, two of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues.
Source: The Sun