A YOUNG girl was beaten, burnt, raped and sexually abused by three generations of her own family from the age of six, a court heard.
Lewes Crown Court heard the girl, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was abused by her grandfather, father and two brothers.
Her mother did nothing to protect her from the alleged attacks, which continued until she was 12-years-old, the jury was told.
Jennifer Knight KC told the court how the girl’s mother would subject her to beatings and lock her up in a cupboard while bound.
The girl’s father is accused of lashing her with a horse-whip, burning her with cigarettes, and repeatedly raping her.
Her brother, who is ten years her senior, allegedly began abusing her from when she was six years old the Daily Mail reports.
The court heard he began raping her when she was nine and would resort to bribery or physical attacks if she refused.
Ms Knight told the jury: “When she objected, saying this was wrong and he shouldn’t do it, he threatened her, saying that he would tell their mother what she was doing with their father.”
The court heard the brother was beaten to the point of having his arm broken when the mother discovered the alleged abuse.
The girl’s grandfather sexually abused her from the age of 10, allegedly.
Her mother is also accused of beating her with several metal and wooden objects.
She also burned the youngster and would rub salt on the wounds so they never healed properly, the court heard.
The young girl told one of her teachers she was too scared to go home, which sparked an investigation, said Ms Knight.
She has been living in foster care since January and six of her family members have now been charged with 41 counts of raping a child, sexual assaults, actual bodily harm, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
They have all denied the charges.
The girl’s mother has accused her daughter of lying and begged her father “was too old to be in prison for life”.
The jury was told the girl said she had lied in later police interviews about being locked in a cupboard.
She also told police she “wanted to protect her family at court” because they would but in “a worse position”.
But Ms Knight said: “The prosecution suggest however that she gave truthful accounts in January and March of this year, when she described at length the conditions of her home life, and the abuse she has suffered at the hands of both her grandfather, parents and siblings.
“You may think she has found the pressure of telling the truth about her family too much to bear, particularly in the face of her mother’s having impressed upon her the many ways in which she has ruined all their lives.”
The trial at Lewes Crown Court continues.
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