Deaf 'Child Slave' Tells Court Of Knife Attack

A deaf woman who says she was kept as a virtual slave claims she was stabbed in the side while being kept by a couple in Manchester.

A crown court jury watched as the woman drew a picture of the knife she says was used to stab her.

The alleged victim said that as a girl she lived in a cellar at the home of Ilyas and Tallat Ashar in Eccles, Greater Manchester.

She claimed that one day she smiled at 83-year-old Mr Ashar, and his wife, who was cutting vegetables, got angry.

She claims that Mrs Ashar then pushed the knife into her side.

In police interviews the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that it was three days before she was taken to see a doctor about the wound.

Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester has heard that the woman was brought to the UK from Pakistan when she was about 10 years old and made to work for the Ashars cleaning, washing and ironing.

It is claimed that Mr Ashar raped the girl and that she was physically and sexually abused by his wife.

They both deny the charges.