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| Oxford gang drugged young girls and sold them as prostitutes, court told | Oxford gang drugged young girls and sold them as prostitutes, court told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Vulnerable girls as young as 11 were groomed, subjected to acts of "extreme depravity" and sold as child prostitutes by a gang of men based in Oxford, a court has heard. | Vulnerable girls as young as 11 were groomed, subjected to acts of "extreme depravity" and sold as child prostitutes by a gang of men based in Oxford, a court has heard. |
| Over a period of eight years the nine men made the girls' lives a "living hell", subjecting them to extreme physical and sexual violence, selling some victims as child prostitutes in Oxford and trafficking others around the UK, the Old Bailey was told. | Over a period of eight years the nine men made the girls' lives a "living hell", subjecting them to extreme physical and sexual violence, selling some victims as child prostitutes in Oxford and trafficking others around the UK, the Old Bailey was told. |
| It took more than half an hour to read out the 51 counts against the men, who sat impassively in the dock, accused of a range of abuses including rape, forcing a child into prostitution and trafficking. | It took more than half an hour to read out the 51 counts against the men, who sat impassively in the dock, accused of a range of abuses including rape, forcing a child into prostitution and trafficking. |
| The jury of seven men and five women heard that from 2004 to early 2012 six complainants were plied with drugs and drink, and raped, sometimes by several men and sometimes "for days on end". | The jury of seven men and five women heard that from 2004 to early 2012 six complainants were plied with drugs and drink, and raped, sometimes by several men and sometimes "for days on end". |
| The men targeted vulnerable girls in care or from chaotic backgrounds, the jury heard. Once girls were groomed they could then be used to recruit other children into the sex ring. Some of the girls, ranging in age from 11 to 15, were groomed to be child prostitutes, for which some men in the gang received payments. | The men targeted vulnerable girls in care or from chaotic backgrounds, the jury heard. Once girls were groomed they could then be used to recruit other children into the sex ring. Some of the girls, ranging in age from 11 to 15, were groomed to be child prostitutes, for which some men in the gang received payments. |
| Kamar Jamil, 27, Akthtar Dogar, 32, Anjum Dogar, 30, Assad Hussain, 32, Mohammed Karrar, 28, Bassam Karrar, 26, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, deny the charges against them. | Kamar Jamil, 27, Akthtar Dogar, 32, Anjum Dogar, 30, Assad Hussain, 32, Mohammed Karrar, 28, Bassam Karrar, 26, Mohammed Hussain, 24, Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, deny the charges against them. |
| The trial is expected to last eight to 12 weeks. | |
| Noel Lucas QC, prosecuting said: "The depravity of what was done to the complainants was extreme." | Noel Lucas QC, prosecuting said: "The depravity of what was done to the complainants was extreme." |
| He told the jury that they would have to steel themselves to hear the evidence. "The facts in this case will make you feel uncomfortable. Much of what the girls were forced to endure was perverted in the extreme." | He told the jury that they would have to steel themselves to hear the evidence. "The facts in this case will make you feel uncomfortable. Much of what the girls were forced to endure was perverted in the extreme." |
| The girls were taken to guest houses and empty houses thought to be kept for the abuse where they were subjected to sadistic sexual acts. | The girls were taken to guest houses and empty houses thought to be kept for the abuse where they were subjected to sadistic sexual acts. |
| The jury heard that the girls suffered sexual abuse, sometimes for days at a time when they were guarded by the men and prevented from escaping. | The jury heard that the girls suffered sexual abuse, sometimes for days at a time when they were guarded by the men and prevented from escaping. |
| Weapons, including knives, baseball bats, knives and meat cleavers were used during the torture, the court heard. The girls were subjected to a range of "humiliating and degrading conduct" including biting, suffocation, burning and scratching. | Weapons, including knives, baseball bats, knives and meat cleavers were used during the torture, the court heard. The girls were subjected to a range of "humiliating and degrading conduct" including biting, suffocation, burning and scratching. |
| The jury was told that the men at times urinated on the girls, who were raped vaginally, orally and anally. | The jury was told that the men at times urinated on the girls, who were raped vaginally, orally and anally. |
| The girls were groomed in a variety of ways, given gifts or "simply shown the care and attention they very much craved", said Lucas. | The girls were groomed in a variety of ways, given gifts or "simply shown the care and attention they very much craved", said Lucas. |
| "The attention lavished on the girls at the outset was of course entirely insincere as it was merely a device, you may conclude once you hear the evidence, to exploit their vulnerability," he said. | "The attention lavished on the girls at the outset was of course entirely insincere as it was merely a device, you may conclude once you hear the evidence, to exploit their vulnerability," he said. |
| He said the girls were also given "so many drugs they were barely aware of what was going on – indeed they say it was the only way they could cope with what was going on". | He said the girls were also given "so many drugs they were barely aware of what was going on – indeed they say it was the only way they could cope with what was going on". |
| The men gave the girls cannabis, cocaine, crack and sometimes heroin. | The men gave the girls cannabis, cocaine, crack and sometimes heroin. |
| "The girls became addicted to certain of the drugs and felt unable to live without them. This made them even more dependent in the men." | "The girls became addicted to certain of the drugs and felt unable to live without them. This made them even more dependent in the men." |
| The men controlled the girls in their power entirely and "extreme physical and sexual violence" was carried out on them. They were threatened "that should they ever seek to free themselves from the grasp of the group they and their families would suffer serious harm". | The men controlled the girls in their power entirely and "extreme physical and sexual violence" was carried out on them. They were threatened "that should they ever seek to free themselves from the grasp of the group they and their families would suffer serious harm". |
| The men exercised control over girls who were unlikely to be believed and whose behaviour would be seen as delinquent conduct, said Lucas. It was, according to one of the girls "a living hell" from which there was no escape. | The men exercised control over girls who were unlikely to be believed and whose behaviour would be seen as delinquent conduct, said Lucas. It was, according to one of the girls "a living hell" from which there was no escape. |
| The court were also told that the girls were abused by the gang and ferried across England to be used as child prostitutes, with men or groups of men. | The court were also told that the girls were abused by the gang and ferried across England to be used as child prostitutes, with men or groups of men. |
| Men went to empty houses used solely for the purposes of the abuse and those who arrived by appointment to have sex with the girls came from as far away as Bradford, Leeds, London and Slough, Lucas said. | Men went to empty houses used solely for the purposes of the abuse and those who arrived by appointment to have sex with the girls came from as far away as Bradford, Leeds, London and Slough, Lucas said. |
| On other occasions girls were ferried to locations, including London and Bournemouth. | On other occasions girls were ferried to locations, including London and Bournemouth. |
| Acts of abuse occurred over a number of days during which the girls were imprisoned and guarded so they could not escape. | Acts of abuse occurred over a number of days during which the girls were imprisoned and guarded so they could not escape. |
| The men, significantly older than the abused girls, carried out the abuse for a number of years. "Each was … of an age to know precisely what he was doing" and to be aware of the extreme suffering being inflicted on the victims, said Lucas. | The men, significantly older than the abused girls, carried out the abuse for a number of years. "Each was … of an age to know precisely what he was doing" and to be aware of the extreme suffering being inflicted on the victims, said Lucas. |
| He added that the men were aware that they were breaking the law but their behaviour was intentional and persistent. | He added that the men were aware that they were breaking the law but their behaviour was intentional and persistent. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |