A grandfather, father, uncle, and two brothers who raped and sexually abused a young girl from their own family have been jailed for nearly 100 years.
The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered years of abuse and torture at the hands of her own relatives from the age of six in her home in West Sussex.
They were aided by her mother, 43, who bound, beat, and locked the youngster in a cupboard where she was left without food for days. The cruel mother also burnt her daughter with hot wax and rubbed salt into the wound.
The girl’s sister, 9, was also physically abused at the family home.
The family were jailed last week to a total of 95 years and six months following a four-week-long trial at Lewes Crown Court.
A jury convicted the six relatives on 39 counts of rape, sexual assault, cruelty, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
As he was taken down, the father, 44, who had been seen smirking and joking throughout the hearing, called out: ‘You shouldn’t be a judge, you should retire.’
Her Honour Judge Christine Henson KC said: ‘The sexual and physical violence was by those who should have had the welfare of these two girls as their overarching aim.
‘The free narrative of her first three hour interview was disturbing and shocking to listen to. The sexual abuse was so extensive, it had been part of regular family life from the age of six.’
Six relatives were jailed last week to a total of 95 years and six months for the rape and abuse of a girl from their own family following a four-week-long trial at Lewes Crown Court (pictured)
The abuse lasted until the girl was 12 when she bravely told teachers what was going on after years of horrific treatment and Sussex police were called.
One of the sexual assaults carried out by her grandfather took place when he visited her for Eid celebrations, the trial heard.
The court heard that when she was taken into care, her mother enlisted the help of an uncle to persuade the girl to change her story and drop the case.
The judge continued: ‘The pain of that young girl, wrestling with her emotions, was evident at trial.
‘The desperation, despite the abuse she suffered, to protect her family was heartbreaking.’
None of the family members have admitted their guilt.
The delivery driver father, who was jailed for a total of 33 years on 13 different offences, was described as a remorseless and aggressive bully who beat his wife and verbally abused a female police officer.
Judge Henson told him: ‘You are an arrogant and self-entitled man and an appalling role model to your sons.
‘Even at trial, you spoke about your daughter with disdain. Your only concern is you have lost some standing in the community.’
The judge also said the mother was ‘prepared to risk the future safety of your own child to preserve the family honour and yourself’.
The mother was jailed for ten years and six months and was told she will never see her daughter again without supervision.
The grandfather, 70, was convicted of three sexual assaults on his granddaughter and was jailed for nine years.
The eldest brother, now aged 24, started raping his sister when she was six years old and he was 16.
He was jailed for a total 13 years and six months after he was found guilty of multiple rapes and assaults.
His younger brother, now 21, was already serving a sentence for rape and has been jailed for another eight offences of violent rape against his sister, which started when he was aged 13.
He now has a total sentence of 26 years and six months.
The uncle, 50, who worked with her mother to convince the girl to change her story, arranged to meet the girl and give her a phone after she ran away from a foster family.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour (pictured) delivers a statement outside court after the sentencing hearing
‘Your focus has been family reputation without any thought to the risk or harm that would subject your niece to,’ the judge said.
He was jailed for three years.
Throughout the day-long sentencing hearing at Lewes Crown Court, in Hove, the father and both brothers smirked and joked.
The girl, now aged 13, remembered her horrific ordeal began with physical assaults when she was only three.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC said the girl was groomed by her brothers after one of them saw their father raping her.
The brothers were only children themselves when they started raping their sister, she said.
‘This was pervasive and known throughout that household and that is why each of the sons in due course joined in that activity.
‘They each said if she came up to the bedroom she would get something nice. Trying to sweeten the unpleasantness of the abuse.’
One time, the brother offered the young girl Lego in exchange for her doing what he told her to.
In a harrowing video interview lasting three hours, the girl recounted horrific details of abuse she said she suffered at the hands of her closest family. At one point, she rolled up her sleeve to show the scars on her wrist and arm.
She said that her father would burn her with cigarettes and she was made to cover her injuries with makeup.
She also described playing with her Shopkins toys on the kitchen floor on a day when her mother was at work.
The girl said that when her mother was out, her father would touch her and, in one instance, he called her into the living room and raped her.
To demonstrate the abuse, she drew diagrams and used paper cutouts.
As the recording was played in court, her father and brothers hunched over the edge of the dock, resting their chins on folded arms.
The mother, father and both brothers did not show any emotion as the girl talked about the degrading sexual abuse.
One brother wiped tears from his eyes as the jury foreman was asked for verdicts of his sickening offences.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour said: ‘This has been a complex, distressing investigation that has had a profound and ongoing impact on the two young victims.
‘Throughout, our priority has been, alongside our partners, the safety of these two girls.
‘I would like to thank them both for the courage and strength they have shown in supporting the investigation.
‘This case has involved harrowing details of how the defendants abused the trust of both young victims.
‘Their home should have been a place of love and support, but was in fact a place the victims feared.
‘The defendants preyed on that fear and hoped it would silence them. But the victims’ voices have been heard.
‘Our officers have been determined to get justice in this case, and we are pleased that the court has imposed significant custodial sentences to reflect the seriousness of the crimes.
‘I hope this case highlights Sussex Police’s commitment to bringing such offenders to justice. If you are or know someone suffering abuse, please do report it.
‘We urge the public not to speculate about the case online as this may jeopardise the victims’ legal right to anonymity.’
