Victim of caustic soda gang rape says she 'cannot forgive' as attackers are jailed for 23 years



A schoolgirl who was gang-raped and then doused with caustic soda has told of her anguish at being unable to forgive her attackers.



As three of them were jailed for a total of 23 years yesterday, the teenager, who is scarred for life, told of her struggle to adhere to her family's belief in compassion.



'I have tried to forgive them for what they have done, but it is so hard,' she said in a victim impact statement read to the court.



Jailed for rape: (left to right) Rogel McMorris, Hector Muaimba and Jason Brew

'My family have always taught me to forgive and to pray for others.

'But I have to think about what has happened. At this stage I don't know where to begin.

'I hope one day they will feel sorry for what they have done to me.'



The girl, 15 at the time but with a mental age of nine, was repeatedly raped by a gang of youths.



They poured caustic soda over her, leaving her with skin peeling off her face and chest and screaming in agony as they ran away laughing.



Locked up: Rogel McMorris

Her attackers - all members of a North London gang - had pleaded not guilty, forcing the girl to relive her ordeal by giving evidence.



She sat trembling during a video-link, frequently pausing because her skin was overheating, as the defendants sneered in the dock at Wood Green Crown Court.



Yesterday Jamaican-born Rogel McMorris, 18, of Stockwell, was locked up for nine years after being found guilty of rape and grievous bodily harm. His immigration status is being investigated.



Angolan immigrant Hector Muaimba, 20, of Walthamstow, was given an eight-year sentence for rape and robbery and Jason Brew, 19, of Tottenham, was sentenced to six years for rape. They will serve their sentences in a youth offenders' institution.



The gang pounced in Tottenham, North London, on January 9 last year after the girl had arranged to meet another man.



One of the alleged attackers was Steven Bigby, 22, who was stabbed to death in Oxford Street, London in May last year.



He had been charged with the rape and freed on bail, only to be murdered in a gang fight outside a McDonald's store. Police remain certain he was one of the ringleaders of the attack.

The trio filmed themselves gang-raping the girl, laughing as they used their mobile phones to record her suffering.

The vicious attack took place on the first floor of an empty house undergoing renovation.

Steven Bigby, 22, was alleged to have been one of the attackers. But he was stabbed to death outside a McDonald's store before he could face justice

They had hoped the caustic soda - a powerful corrosive - would destroy forensic evidence.

As she writhed in agony, they poured water on her, intensifying the burning.

The alarm was raised by a neighbour, who heard her 'frantic' cries and found her covered with raw patches on her face and body.



A year on, the girl still has scarring to 50 per cent of her body. She is unable to control her temperature and will need extensive surgery for years to come.



Judge Shaun Lyons said her life had been left in 'ruins'.



'She is liable to need life-long treatment,' he said. 'It is doubtful whether she can operate fully as a young woman in the future.'



Last night her uncle said: 'We know the sentence imposed on the perpetrators of this hideous crime will not bring sufficient justice and healing. However, our hope and trust is in God on whose justice we can rely.'

Passing sentence, Judge Shaun Lyons said: 'The most severe injuries and consequences came from the caustic soda. The victim has been left with severe post traumatic stress disorder and many, many physical difficulties.'



He added: 'It is doubtful what form her life will take and whether she can operate fully as a young woman in the future.'



The judge said she will face bouts of severe depression, flash backs and suicidal thoughts.