Child sex abuse trial: "Rape claims not motivated by compensation"

A WOMAN has refuted claims she lied about being sexually exploited when she was a teenager in order to gain compensation.

The complainant (27) said: “This is not about money, this is about justice”, as Mrs Kitty Taylor, defending accused Sageer Hussain (30), claimed her allegations were motivated by compensation.

The woman was being cross-examined today at Sheffield Crown Court, where Sageer Hussain is on trial, along with seven other men, charged with four counts of sexual abuse against the woman when she was aged 13.

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The court has previously heard the complainant has written a book about child sexual exploitation (CSE), worked with victims and appeared in the media to talk about the topic.

Mrs Taylor put it to the complainant that she had been motivated by compensation and queried how much she had earned from her CSE work.

The woman replied: “I have not made money, I am on working tax credits, most of my stuff is voluntary and I do a lot for free, when I talk to victims I cover my own costs of that.

“This is not about money, this is about justice.”

Mrs Taylor said that the complainant had left school with “few qualifications”

and compensation was an “opportunity to earn money”.

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The woman replied that she had left school with no qualifications due to her exploitation but had now gone on to achieve qualifications.

The woman added: “It would have been easier if I just sat around on benefits because of my mental health issues.

“But I didn't, I went out and I have made a difference to people’s lives and got CSE recognised for what it is — and that's not children being naughty or lying.”

The alleged victim said she had received £20,400 in compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in 2011, after appealing an earlier rejection, in light of her 2003 complaint to police that Sageer had raped and indecent assaulted her.

The cross-examination of the alleged victim is expected to conclude tomorrow.

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