Child sex abuse trial: Police "paid victim £140 after losing evidence"

POLICE reimbursed a rape complainant with £140 after losing the clothes she claimed she had been sexually assaulted in, a court heard.

Sheffield Crown Court heard the 13-year-old girl handed the clothes to police after she was interviewed on April 8, 2003, when she alleged the then 17-year-old Sageer Hussain had raped her on four occasions.

Hussain is now on trial along with seven other men for historic sex offences against the woman in 2003 when she was aged 13 to 14.

The information about the reimbursement was revealed as part of the prosecution and defence’s agreed facts about the case which were read to the jury today.

The complainant, now 27, withdrew her statement six days after making it because she claimed she had received threats.

Mr Peter Hampton, prosecuting, said the complainant gave police a pair of blue jeans, white Ellesse coat, Carbrini coat and a pair of black trousers.

“Forensic samples were taken from the girl but were not retained due to the fact that the allegation was not pursued in accordance with normal procedure,” said Mr Hampton.

“The police lost the clothes in 2003, this was discovered after the decision not to charge was made and the family sought the return of the clothes.

“The police sent a letter of apology and replacement value of £140 compensation to reimburse.”

Risky Business files for the time period of the complaint cannot be traced, Mr Hampton said, adding: “It is not known what happened to them.

“Some records were recovered from Switalskis Solicitors.”

The complainant told police in 2003 that when she was raped by Sageer on one occasion, in his friend Widdi's car, that Widdi sat on the bonnet and watched.

Mr Hampton said: “Enquiries were conducted in 2003 to trace the male referred to as Widdi.

“These enquiries proved negative.”

The prosecution now say this man is defendant Mohammed Whied, who is Sageer’s cousin.

Whied was arrested in April 2015 for aiding and abetting the alleged rape.

Records also showed that the mobile phones of defendant Masoued Malik were seized in October 2003 but “are no longer held in the property store”, Mr Hampton said.

But the complainant’s father retained his daughter's phone records and handed bills to police.

Mr Hampton said records showed the girl had made calls in 2003 to mobile numbers attributed to Malik and his co-defendant's Naeem Rafiq and Waleed Ali.

“No mobile phone or number was attributed to Sageer Hussain in 2003.”

Defendant Ishtiaq Khaliq was not charged with breaching his bail conditions or witness intimidation, said Mr Hampton, when he sent a “thumbs up emoji” to the complainant in October 2015 — two days after he was charged with raping her.

All the defendants deny the charges. The trial continues.

The prosecution has now concluded its case and the defence is due to begin tomorrow morning.

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