A vulnerable child who had low self-esteem was bitten and raped by a group of Asian men in Sherwood Forest after being given drugs and alcohol, a court has heard.

The victim, who was under 16 at the time, was described as being "as high as a kite" on cannabis when the men took turns to have sex with her sometime between August 2002 and August 2003.

Sheffield Crown Court was also told the men threatened to abandon the girl in the forest if she did not comply with their dermands.

She became pregnant as a result and was forced by her "unsupportive" parents to have an abortion.

Prosecuting barrister Michelle Colborne QC told the court: "She did not take any pleasure in this act. She was warned she had to do as she was told or she would be left there.


"She was bitten and it left marks on her neck... the defendants ensured her compliance by giving her drugs and threatening to abandon her in the forest."

She added: "She became pregnant as a result and her parents forced her to have a termination. She suffered a great deal of psychological trauma as a result."

Ms Colborne said the teenager, who is now in her thirties, was vulnerable and had a history of being exploited.

"She was passed from one group of Asian males to another and, over time, was very seriously abused."

Image: Sheffield Crown Court was told the girl was bitten and raped

The alleged crime is just one of many incidents covered in the latest trial concerning child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

Nabeel Kurshid and Iqlak Yousaf deny charges of rape at Sherwood Forest in Nottinghamshire.

Co-defendants Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, Tanweer Ali, Ajmal Rafiq, Salah Ahmed El-Hakam, Asif Ali and another man who cannot be identified for legal reasons are also charged with separate child sex offences.

All eight men deny all the charges against them.

The court was told that all of the men apart from Mr Rafiq gave "no comment" interviews to the police.

Ms Colborne said: "Not one of them accepts any wrongdoing. Those who do accept association maintain that it was entirely innocent or consensual."

The case is expected to last for at least six weeks.