Six men aged between 32 and 55 are on trial at the Central Criminal Court, accused of long-term sexual abuse within an extended family over a 19-year period from 1995 to 2014. The main complainant, who is deaf, alleges abuse primarily by three of her uncles and three younger brothers. Defence lawyers have challenged the reliability of the evidence as closing speeches concluded on Wednesday.
Defence Questions Evidence
John Peart SC, representing one of the men aged 32, described the allegations as “nonsensical,” disputing claims that a 13-year-old boy could have raped his 17-year-old sister forcibly and that she would have “let him.” Peart highlighted inconsistencies in the complainant’s testimony, pointing to a lack of detail and conflicting accounts of where the accused and complainant lived at the time.
Issue Of Credibility Raised
Hugh Hartnett SC, for a 48-year-old uncle accused of multiple counts of rape and anal rape, focused on the complainant’s delay in naming his client during initial disclosures in 2017. He suggested this was due to shame and maintained that sexual activity was consensual. Hartnett urged jurors to question whether the complainant’s evidence met the required standard of proof.
Focus on a single allegation
Marc Thompson Grolimund SC defended a man accused of one rape count, reportedly from 1995 to 1996, highlighting a 2021 text from the complainant’s mother stating she had no recollection of him being involved with her children. The defence argued the prosecution’s case relied solely on the complainant’s testimony, which they described as lacking detail.
Other Charges And Denials
- Accused A (55) denies one count of rape between 2009 and 2011.
- Accused C (34) faces 10 charges, including rape and sexual assault from 2003 to 2010, and denies abusing two younger sisters.
- Accused E (32) denies two counts of anal rape from 2007 to 2009.
Charges against a seventh man, a 33-year-old brother of the complainant, were withdrawn earlier in the trial.
Trial Continues
Ms Justice Caroline Biggs has begun charging the jury and the trial is ongoing.
