Family members, including a father and two brothers, have been found guilty of raping and abusing a girl.
The court heard that the girl was burnt, beaten and locked up by three generations of her own family during her horrific ordeal.
She was sexually abused by the male members of her family while her mother did nothing to stop it.
And when the girl confided in her mother about the abuse she locked her in a cupboard and beat her. She would burn her and rub salt in the wounds to make sure ‘they never healed properly’.
The mental abuse did not stop following their arrests, with family members contacting the girl pressuring her to change her story.
Her younger sister also faced physical abuse at the family home in West Sussex.
After more than 20 hours, a jury in Hove agreed the family had caused years of suffering to the girl who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
And now her grandfather, father, mother, two brothers and an uncle face lengthy jail sentences.
Their convictions included 39 counts of rape, sexual assault, cruelty, false imprisonment and perverting the course of justice.
According to the girl, the abuse started when she was just six-years-old and took place constantly even during important holidays such as Eid.
Hove Crown Court where, after more than 20 hours, a jury agreed the family had caused years of suffering to the girl who cannot be identified for legal reasons (file image)
She was the victim of repeated rapes by her father and brothers and of sexual assault at the hands of her grandfather.
In a harrowing video recorded interview, which lasted three hours, the girl recounted dreadful details of abuse she said she suffered at the hands of her closest family.
She described playing with her Shopkins toys on the kitchen floor on day when her mother was at work.
‘When mum was out, he used to touch me,’ the girl said.
As the recording played in court, her dad and brothers hunched over the edge of the dock, resting their chins on folded arms.
None of the family members showed any emotion as the girl talked police through degrading sexual abuse.
The court heard that Sussex Police were called after the girl, now aged 13, told school staff she was too scared to go home.
She said: ‘I was really scared to go back home because I knew mum and dad would hit me a lot.
‘I said I don’t feel comfortable going home because of my parents.
‘I told how my parents keep abusing me and they’ve been doing it for years.’
When she tried to tell her mother about the sexual abuse, the girl said she was beaten.
The girl said her mother would take money she was given by other family members as a gift for holidays such as Eid and spend it instead.
‘Mum tied me up with ropes and then locked me in the cupboard for a day or two without feeding me,’ she said.
To conceal the abuse, her mother told the girl to lie to the police.
‘Mum always said to say “no” to the police if they asked if anyone touched me,’ she said.
During the interview, the girl rolled up her sleeve to show police interviewers the scars on her wrist and arm.
The girl said her father would burn her as punishment.
‘He used to burn me with cigarettes a lot,’ she said.
The girl said she was made to cover her injuries with makeup.
Jennifer Knight KC, for the Crown, told how the girl was beaten, burnt, raped and neglected.
The girl first revealed the horrors of her home life when she told a teacher she was too scared to go home.
The girl said she remembered her mother first hit her when she was three-years-old.
‘She many different implements including large metal cooking spoons, sandals and wooden “pole sticks”.’
The girl said her mother would burn her with candles and a lighter.
‘She describes her mother making sure that her burns never quite healed properly and putting salt on them to make them hurt,’ Ms Knight said.
The girl would be locked in a cupboard with her arms and legs tied with rope and tape over her mouth.
According to Ms Knight she would even be left in the cupboard overnight.
Her mother told her having her as a daughter made her life hell, so she would make her life hell in return, the jury were told.
When the family were arrested in January this year, the girl was put into foster care.
While they were on bail, family member put pressure on the girl to change her story and say she had made up the allegations, Ms Knight said.
‘Her mother told her daughter that the whole family were suffering because of what she had said. She said her grandfather was too old to be in prison for life,’ Ms Knight said.
In later police interviews, the girl said she had made up the allegations of physical abuse.
‘She said that she had also lied about being locked in the shoe-cupboard. She said that her mother had always fed her, looked after her and treated her fairly.
‘She maintained however that all the sexual things she had described her grandfather, father and brothers doing to her were true and had happened as she described.’
The girl told police she was going to lie to protect her family because she loved them, Ms Knight said.
‘She said that she wanted to protect her family at court.
‘She said “the truth I say will put my family in a worse position and I don’t want that”.’
Both victims, who cannot be identified, have received support from specially-trained officers and partner agencies.
The younger sister reported being assaulted and neglected by her parents.
Detective Superintendent Andrew Harbour said: ‘This has been a complex investigation that has had a profound impact on the two victims. Our priority continues to be ensuring their welfare and safeguarding in this highly traumatic and distressing case.
‘We have worked alongside partner agencies to ensure the ongoing safeguarding of the young victims.
‘Tackling violence against women and girls is a top priority for Sussex Police. We encourage all victims of rape and serious sexual offences to report their experience to us.
‘Our officers have been determined to get justice in this case, and we are pleased with the guilty verdicts returned by the jury.
‘We urge the public not to speculate about the case online as this may jeopardise the victims’ legal right to anonymity.’
The family members were warned they face lengthy prison terms when they are sentenced in February next year.
Father, aged 43, was convicted of five counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, three counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and three counts of cruelty to a person under 16.
Mother, aged 43, was convicted of four counts of cruelty to a person under 16, two counts of false imprisonment, and one count of perverting the course of justice.
Grandfather, aged 70, was convicted of one count of sexual assault by penetration of a child under 13, and two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13.
Brother, aged 23, was convicted of four counts of rape of a child under 13, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Brother, aged 20, was convicted of four counts of rape of a child under 13, two counts of sexual assault of a child under 13, one count of causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Uncle, aged 49, was convicted of one count of perverting the course of justice.
