A TEENAGER who said she was raped by a member of a group accused of sexually exploiting girls said she initially lied to police because she “didn’t want to deal with it”.

Seven Banbury men are on trial at Oxford Crown Court accused of grooming and sexually exploiting eight teenage girls between 2011 and 2013.

Prosecution barrister Stuart Trimmer QC said the defendants identified their targets by organising parties – called “Fiddy Events” – for under 18s.

He said the group was known as “BB or B2” and they subjected their victims to a “cycle” of abuse, leading in some cases to “rape and even gang rape”.

The defendants are Ahmed Hassan-Sule, 21, of Glyndebourne Gardens; Said Saleh, 20, of Orchard Way; Mohamed Saleh, 21, of Orchard Way; Takudzwa Hova, 21, of Broughton Road; Kagiso Manase, 26, of Warwick Road; and Alexandru Nae, 19, of Broome Way.

They are charged with a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The defendants deny a total of 26 charges, including 19 counts of sexual activity with a child, two counts of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, three counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault.

Yesterday, a complainant who said she was raped by Hova, but initially told police they had consensual sex, was cross-examined by Hassan-Sule’s barrister Michael Magarian QC. He asked: “Why did you lie to the police?”

She replied: “I didn’t want to admit to myself that it happened.”

The barrister said: “I didn’t quite follow that, could you explain what you mean?”

The witness said: “I knew it had happened, but I didn’t want to admit to myself that I had been raped – I didn’t want to deal with it.

“In the second statement I was asked if it was consensual and I just couldn’t lie any more, I just had to admit this and tell them the truth.”

The trial continues.

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