A YOUNG woman said she decided to give evidence at the Old Bailey as she felt her child abuse claims were "finally being believed".

The unnamed witness, known as Girl 1, claims she was raped and sold for sex by Kamar Jamil and brothers Anjum and Akhtar Dogar, between the ages of 12 and 15.

She finished her evidence today after six days in the stand.

When prosecutor Noel Lucas asked her why she had come forward to give evidence, she said: "In all these years when I've dealt with many many professionals it was the first time I felt I was being believed and the first time someone was going to do something about what had been going on in Oxford for a long, long time.

"An issue I believe may have been covered up, well not covered up but people were not doing their jobs properly and reading between the lines and many, many people I think have suffered this kind of abuse.

"I decided to go ahead with it because I felt like I was finally being believed about what was happening to me."

All nine men charged with involvement in a child sex abuse gang in Oxford deny all charges.

The trial continues.

 

The accused all deny the charges. They are:
- Kamar Jamil, 27, of Aldrich Road, Summertown, Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and one of trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Akhtar Dogar, 32, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies six rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Anjum Dogar, 30, of Tawney Street, East Oxford, denies four rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, three of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, and trafficking for sexual exploitation.
- Assad Hussain, 32, of Ashhurst Way, Rose Hill, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to rape and three of sexual activity with a child.
- Mohammed Karrar, 38, of Kames Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies seven rapes, four charges of conspiracy to rape, an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit sexual activity with a child, two of trafficking for sexual exploitation, two of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, assault, conspiracy to assault, using an instrument to procure a miscarriage, and supplying a Class A drug to another.
- Bassam Karrar, 33, of Hundred Acres Close, Cowley, Oxford, denies three rapes, three charges of conspiracy to rape, two charges of arranging or facilitating child prostitution, trafficking for sexual exploitation, and conspiracy to assault.
- Mohammed Hussain, 24, of Horspath Road, Cowley, Oxford, denies rape, conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child, and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Zeeshan Ahmed, 27, of Palmer Road, Wood Farm, Oxford, denies two charges of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and two charges of sexual activity with a child.
- Bilal Ahmed, 26, of Suffolk Road, Maidenhead, denies conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and sexual activity with a child.