Three Indian-origin men in UK jailed for raping kin

Prasun Sonwalkar

London, Oct 17 (PTI) Three Indian-origin men,
residents of Cardiff, who repeatedly raped a woman in their
family for several years have been convicted and sentenced to
long years in prison.

The three persons sentenced by the Cardiff Crown Court
are the 27-year-old victim's step-father, step-uncle and
brother-in-law. The step-uncle and step-father are illegal
immigrants, and will be deported at the end of their
sentences.

The 55-year-old step-uncle, and 50-year-old
step-father were jailed with minimum recommended terms of 20
and 15 years respectively, while her 27-year-old
brother-in-law was jailed for 12 years.

The step-uncle admitted before the court that he was
the father of the child conceived when the victim was 14 years
old. He was convicted of seven counts of rape, three of
indecency with a child, and one of indecent assault.

During the hearing, the court was told that the
victim's ordeal began at the age of five when she was raped by
her step-uncle. She became pregnant at 14, but was locked in a
wardrobe so that visitors would not see her condition.

Prosecuting lawyer Marion Lewis told: "The girl was
already seven months pregnant when she first saw a doctor
about her condition. When the baby was born, the girl's
parents told friends and neighbours it was their own, before
flying their daughter to India for an arranged marriage."

Judge Patrick Curran told the step-uncle: "Not content
with your own sexual abuse on her, you encouraged the others
to treat her like an unpaid and unwilling prostitute. You all
then involved yourselves in a group rape on her." (MORE) PTI