Sex Ring Trial: Victim Feared Being Shot

One of the alleged victims of a sex trafficking ring has told an Old Bailey trial she feared she would be shot if she didn't agree to have sex with her alleged abusers.

The witness, now 21 and who cannot be named for legal reasons, said she was just 14 when she first met a group of four Asian men.

Nine men are on trial accused of abusing the youngster and five others in the Oxford area.

The trial heard claims the men were initially very kind, but soon became abusive and threatening towards her.

The witness told the court that on one occasion she was raped by one of the men in an Oxford park after being threatened.

She said the man told her that if she did not do what she was told "he had someone who would shoot me as I walked past".

The witness said the men became increasingly threatening and at times those threats turned to violence.

On another occasion two of the men branded a "smile" on her body with an electronic cigarette lighter.

The Old Bailey heard she was taken to a flat in Oxford in August 2006. Eleven men barged into the flat.

She claimed she was forced to have sex with one of the men and afterwards was told another man would be coming into the room to see her next.

The witness said she tried to escape through a window, but the opening was too small.

She managed to call the police. However, the court heard she withdrew her complaint the following day.

Nine men are on trial charged with a total of 51 offences against six girls, including rape and sex trafficking.

They are Kamar Jamil, Akhtar Dogar, Anjum Dogar, Assad Hussain, Mohammed Karrar, Bassam Karrar, Mohammed Hussain, Zeeshan Ahmed and Bilal Ahmed. All are aged between 24 and 38.

All nine deny the charges against them.