Youths convicted over girl's rape

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Three teenagers have been found guilty over the rape of a 14-year-old girl who was held against her will and sexually assaulted by a series of men.

Harrow Crown Court heard the schoolgirl was attacked at a block of flats in north London in January 2008.

Ahmed Gelle and Saaid Shire, both 18 and from north-west London, were found guilty of rape and false imprisonment.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named, was found guilty of a child sex charge and false imprisonment.

All three are due to be sentenced on 27 March.

The court heard the girl and a friend were taken to the flats on the pretence of meeting a friend.

'Sickening example'

Nicholas Corsellis, prosecuting, said instead they were faced with a gang of men and one of the girls was forced into the room while the other was told to wait outside.

Mr Corsellis said: "The schoolgirl in the room began to panic and cry.

"She was ordered to calm down and stop being a child, to which she replied 'But I am - I'm 14'."

The court heard that the girl realised the danger she was in and pleaded with the gang, saying: "Imagine if I was your sister or mother."

Mr Corsellis said she was then raped by a succession of men.

"And in a sickening example of life on some estates in London there were clearly other men who were prepared to join in, waiting their turn rather than trying to stop the child being raped," he told the court.

The court heard the other youngster was also attacked but no charges had been brought in respect to that offence.

Gelle of Harrow and Shire of Wembley were cleared of causing a child to engage in sexual activity

The 17-year-old, who cannot be named because of his age, was found guilty of causing a child to engage in sexual activity but cleared of rape.