A 14-year-old autistic girl allegedly raped and sexually assaulted on a busy commuter train told police she was frightened to refuse the men because she feared they might hurt her, a court has heard.
Baryalai Rahimi, 25, and Mirebadurahman Sadat, 29, are standing trial at Inner London Crown Court accused of sexual attacks during a journey from Kent to London on 5 February 2026.
The girl, who had run away from home, was allegedly approached by the two men at Sturry railway station before boarding a Southeastern service towards London Bridge.
Both defendants deny the allegations, which involve 20 charges including alternative counts relating to the same alleged conduct.
Girl tells police she was too frightened to refuse
Jurors heard a recorded police interview in which the teenager described her encounters with the defendants.
She said Rahimi initially complimented her appearance and repeatedly attempted to put his coat around her while they waited at the station. She became increasingly uncomfortable as he continued approaching her.
The girl alleged Rahimi kissed her without consent before they boarded the train. She later described feeling unable to refuse his demands because he was older and physically stronger.
“I didn’t know how to say no,” she told police.
She said she feared refusal could provoke an aggressive response. “I just like to do what people want so it keeps me out of a dangerous situation,” she said.
CCTV shown during train rape trial
The jury was shown CCTV footage which prosecutors say supports their account of the men’s movements around the train.
The prosecution alleges Rahimi sexually assaulted the girl in a carriage before taking her into a toilet cubicle, where he raped her three times.
Asked what other passengers were doing, the girl said: “No one was really looking at us. Everyone was just on their phones.”
There is no evidence in the reported proceedings that other passengers knew sexual offences were allegedly taking place.
Prosecutors further allege Rahimi subsequently left the teenager with Sadat, who sexually assaulted her. Both men dispute the allegations.
Teenager says she told defendant she was 14
In her recorded interview, the girl said she had told Rahimi her age before the alleged assaults and that he laughed when she said she was 14.
In a prepared statement after his arrest, Rahimi claimed the girl had said she was 17 and he believed she was aged 17 or 18. He disputed the prosecution’s account and claimed the encounter was consensual.
Sadat denied the allegations, saying in a prepared statement: “Although I have some memory issues, I did not do what I am accused of. I deny these offences.”
Both defendants deny charges
Rahimi, of Southall, west London, denies three counts of rape, two counts of sexual assault, one count of assault by penetration and six alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
Sadat, of Cricklewood, north-west London, denies two counts of assault by penetration, two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and four alternative counts of sexual activity with a child.
The alternative counts do not mean prosecutors allege 20 separate incidents.
The trial is expected to last approximately three weeks. No verdict has been reached.
