Solsticewitch13's BOS: Mother of girl, 16, who was raped in hotel by three Somali men tells how the attackers' relatives terrified her throughout the trial

Monday, February 1, 2016

Mother of girl, 16, who was raped in hotel by three Somali men tells how the attackers' relatives terrified her throughout the trial

Muhyadeen Osman, Bilal Ahmed and Mowled Yussuf, all 20, guilty of rape
Friend cornered victim, 16, in a hotel bedroom and took turns to rape her
Up to 50 friends and family attended court throughout their two-month trial
Girl's mother says she and her husband were 'intimidated and goaded'
She said: 'It was scary. If this is what it does to us, then what would this be like for the victim of a rape case?'

By Martin Robinson, Uk Chief Reporter For Mailonline

Published: 11:38 GMT, 1 February 2016 | Updated: 17:15 GMT, 1 February 2016

The mother of a 16-year-old raped by three Somali men today claimed 50 of their friends and family carried out a two-month campaign of intimidation throughout the trial.

The woman, who cannot be named to protect her daughter's anonymity, says she was smuggled into court via a back door 'as if she was the criminal' to see the men jailed for a total of 29 years.

Muhyadeen Osman, Bilal Ahmed and Mowled Yussuf, all 20, gang raped the girl at the Victoria Park Hotel in Manchester, having spent the night before there for Eid.

Their victim was 'naive' when she met them and they saw her as 'easy prey' so lured her into a bedroom playing a game of 'hide and seek' before raping her in 2013, the court heard.

Fears: The mother of a rape victim, who cannot be pictured for legal reasons, today claimed she and her family suffered a campaign of intimidation during the trial of her daughter's attackers

Mowled Yussuf, left, Muhyadeen Osman, centre and Bilal Ahmed all 20, have been jailed for a total of 29 years after raping a 16-year-old girl

A group of more than 50 family members and friends gathered at Manchester Crown Court on Friday to protest and the girl's mother says they deliberately intimidated her and her family.

The girl's mother said on the day the trio were jailed Yussuf swore at them and another in the gang blew kisses while family members shouted at them.

The 49-year-old from Cheshire, also said she and her husband were constantly targeted during the two month trial.

She said: 'I was frightened throughout and my husband was frightened. There were so many of them and many of them would goad me when I walked past and deliberately try to intimidate us.

'On some occasions there were at least 50 in the courtroom - most likely many more on the day of the sentencing.

'On one occasion, the judge said only 10 of the family members were allowed into the court but still another 20 ganged up in the corridors and deliberately made me and my husband feel intimidated.

'Sometimes we would come out and there would be even more outside. They would often not move out of the way when we tried to get past. On one occasion the police liaison officer we were with had to ask them to move. If she hadn't have been there I don't know what we would have done.

'It was scary. If this is what it does to us, then what would this be like for the victim of a rape case?

'My daughter was too traumatised and only attended the court on the few days she had to give evidence, when thankfully there were less of them around. But I think it is awful that if she would have attended towards the end of the trial when more of them were there then she would have been subjected to this. It's a disgrace and the system allows this to happen.

'No wonder that so many people are too scared to prosecute over rape if this is what they have to go through. We were scared throughout this but we just knew we had to keep going to get justice.'

Support: Family and friends wave to the prison van containing at least one of the three men jailed for a total of 29 years on Friday

Protests: A group of women held banners on the steps of Manchester Crown Court last week as they claim the boys did not do the crime they were convicted of

Sentencing the trio at Manchester Crown Court last week, Mr Justice David Fernandez said the victim had suffered 'great emotional and physical distress' as a result of the ordeal.

Upset: The unnamed 49-year-old said the experience was terrifying for her, her husband and especially her daughter

During the trial, the court heard how the victim, then 16, got a bus to Manchester and met a fourth male, who she had previously exchanged text messages with after being introduced by a mutual friend.

He took the victim to the hotel to 'meet his boys' - where the pretence of a game of 'hide and seek' was suggested to the victim.

At the hotel, the victim was introduced to Yussuf and Ahmed, who had stayed there the previous night with a group of other males during Eid celebrations.

The victim then became involved in what she believed to be a game of hide and seek, with the group entering a number of unlocked rooms despite being asked to check out at 11am.

CCTV footage showed the victim enter room 38 for around 30 minutes, where she was subjected to rapes in the bathroom and bedroom.

When that finished, Osman, who had been 'keeping watch' outside, raped her on the bed.

Cash and a mobile phone were stolen from her handbag during the incident.

DNA evidence linking all three culprits was found on towels and bedsheets recovered from the scene.

Today the authorities promised to investigate the claims of bullying at court.

A spokesman for Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunal Service said: 'We take the needs of victims, witnesses and their families extremely seriously.

'We take action to support them throughout their time in court including arranging for victims and their families to access the building by a separate entrance and ensuring that defendants' families are seated in a separate part of the courtroom.

'Any complaint of intimidation will be treated very seriously and investigated urgently.'

Crime scene: The rape took place at the Victoria Park Hotel in Manchester, pictured, during Eid celebrations

Sentencing: The trio were found guilty after a trial at Manchester Crown Court, pictured, and jailed for 29 years on Friday

Detective Constable Heather Clarkson from Greater Manchester Police, said: 'The victim has shown extreme bravery throughout the whole of this case and I would personally like to thank her.

'She has been supported by specially trained officers and she has shown the determination to ensure Osman, Yussuf and Ahmed were brought to justice.'

Osman received another two years to his sentence for an unrelated robbery committed in December 2012. All three must sign the sex offenders' register for life.