A female Roma inmate at the Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre was raped by a detention officer and groped by one of his colleagues, a court heard today.

The victim, who was awaiting deportation after committing a crime, was told she would be transferred to a prison if she complained, a jury was told.

Syed Hussain, 34, of Bedford, denies raping and sexually assaulting the woman in 2012.

His colleague Bodrul Islam, 30, also of Bedford, denies misconduct in a public office in 2012 by kissing and sexually touching the same woman.

Syed Hussain, 34, of Bedford, denies raping and sexually assaulting the woman at Yarl's Wood in 2012. His colleague Bodrul Islam, 30, also of Bedford, denies misconduct in a public office in 2012 by kissing and sexually touching the same woman

Luton Crown Court heard that the 23 year old Roma woman was in Yarl's Wood as she challenged plans to deport her back to Eastern Europe.

Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan QC said she was in a 'vulnerable' position when she arrived at the centre and, as she fought to stay in the UK, was 'reluctant to rock the boat' when the offences began.

In an outline of the case against the Hussain and Islam, Mr Donnellan told the jury: 'Each defendant took advantage of a female detainee who was in their charge. She was not a free person.'

He said the prosecution's case was that she was at a 'disadvantage' while she was held at the centre and for that reason was vulnerable.

'In many ways this case is about the abuse of power,' said the prosecutor, who went on: 'Detainees have to comply with the rules of the detention centre.'

The prosecutor said the men were employed by Serco who, at the time, ran the centre north of Clapham in Bedfordshire on behalf of the Home Office.

Each held a public office, said Mr Donnellan, and were in a position of trust and accountable to the public as to the way they carried out their duties.

The prosecutor said: 'Each took advantage of a detainee in a sexual way to a different degree.'

Mr Donnellan said Mr Hussain had groomed the victim by flirting with her soon after she arrived at Yarl's Wood.

He said when Mr Hussain had begun committing offences on the woman, which included touching her and getting her to perform a sex act on him.

The victim was told she would be transferred from Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre in Bedfordshire (pictured) to a prison if she complained, a jury was told

With the second defendant, Mr Islam, the prosecutor said it was a 'different relationship.'

'She thought he was single and he seemed caring and she thought she was in a relationship with him,' he said

As a result, said Mr Donnellan, she agreed to kissing and sexual touching between them, including a sex act on him.

The jury was told Mr Islam was not charged with any sexual offence, but his behaviour amounted to misconduct in a public office.

Continuing his outline of the case against the men, Mr Donnellan said the victim, who is now 28 and who can't be named, had come to the UK as a child and had been born to a Roma family.

Her family arrived in the country in 2000 and in 2006 they were given leave to remain in the UK, said the prosecutor.

But in 2010 the victim, who by then was 21, was convicted of an offence for which she was sent to prison.

While behind bars, the court was told the woman was served with a notice that she was to be deported and, at the end of her sentence, was transferred from the prison to Yarl's Wood in the summer of 2012 'to await removal from the UK.'

'You will hear she was vulnerable because she had issues with her own state which included a history of self harming,' said Mr Donnellan.

The jury was told Mr Hussain's grooming of the woman began with flirting and flattery and hugs and kisses.

'He asked her how long it was since she had had sex,' said Mr Donnelan, and persuaded her to engage in sexual activity.

The prosecutor said that on two occasions when he had sexually assaulted the woman and carried out the rape of the woman, he knew she was not consenting.

The sexual assault had involved him taking her into a room and touching her intimately before performing a sex act in front of her.

Mr Donnellan said the rape offence occurred on November 29 2012 when Mr Hussain took the woman into a photo studio at the centre where detainees could have pictures taken of themselves and then send them to loved ones, friends and relatives.

There, it's alleged he wanted to know why she was seeing his colleague, Mr Islam, who he said was 'chubby.'

He is then alleged to have kissed her before dropping his trousers and forcing the woman to perform a sex act on him.

Mr Donnellan said 'She was coerced. She was down on the ground, on her knees in front of him. She didn't agree, she submitted. She had no choice, we say.'

The court heard that when the woman first made a complaint on December 1 2012 she only named Mr Hussain and didn't refer to what had been going on with Mr Islam.'

It was made to a female officer at the centre, said Mr Donnellan, and he went on 'She warned her if she complained she would go back to prison.'

The court heard, the woman did pursue her complaint, but still only naming Mr Hussain.

However, on seeing Mr Islam's reaction to the news that she had reported his colleague, she realised their relationship wasn't what she thought it was and she told the authorities at the centre 'what he had been doing.'

An investigation was launched by Serco and, in late 2013, Bedfordshire Police interviewed the woman for the first time.

Mr Donnellan said the defendants were interviewed by the police until 2014.

The jury was told there had been a trial of the men in 2016 but 'because of illness' it didn't get very far.

The trial continues.