Girl of 13 faced hate campaign and Facebook bullying… for reporting she had been raped

By
Nazia Parveen

Last updated at 11:56 PM on 8th February 2012

A rape victim aged 13 and her family were targeted by online bullies in her market town after she reported her attacker to police.

The girl had been raped in an alleyway by a 15-year-old ‘sexual predator’ and left in a ‘hysterical state’.

But although her parents soon arrived to rescue her from her immediate ordeal, another nightmare was about to begin through months of malicious abuse and even threats of violence via a Facebook page set up to proclaim the attacker’s innocence.

'Close-knit': The girl's parents were distressed that Clitheroe could harbour so much violence

‘Close-knit’: The girl’s parents were distressed that Clitheroe could harbour so much violence

Some of the abuse came from former friends of the girl who was accused of being a ‘lying little skank’. Her parents were told their house would be burned down unless she withdrew her evidence.

Missiles, stones and eggs were hurled at the house and her mother was approached by youths who tried to intimidate her into making her daughter drop the case.

The mother, a lecturer, had to escort the teenager around town for fear of further attacks and harassment. Their home in Clitheroe was put on ‘vulnerability watch’ by Lancashire Fire Brigade which drew up an emergency escape plan for the family.

Last night after the rapist, now 16, was jailed for 31 months at Preston Crown Court, the girl’s parents, who made a copy of some of the worst abuse, revealed the full extent of their harrowing ordeal.

Her mother said: ‘Shame on them for doing this to such a young girl and to our family.

‘We hadn’t done anything wrong yet there was this Facebook group and our home was being attacked with missiles. Our daughter even started to believe that some of the abuse about her was true. It has been an incredibly distressing experience particularly because these people lived in our very close-knit community.’

The online Abuse

The girl’s father, a mechanic, added: ‘She completely stopped going out and she is still terrified to leave the house. Even when my wife was walking the dogs she was getting pestered and it was not just by youngsters, it was adults too.’

Judge Norman Wright told the court that the abuse represented ‘a snapshot of how a part of society could behave’. Police believe it started when the attacker, who cannot be named because of his age, initially denied the offence. Passing sentence yesterday, the judge told him: ‘Others jumped on the bandwagon and treated her in a way that no other victim of rape should be treated.’

The girl said in a victim impact statement that the abuse had left her feeling the rape was her fault.

The attacker forced himself on his victim in an alleyway near Clitheroe Football Club in January 2011. Her parents, who had driven around the town trying to find her, finally got through to her on a mobile phone and heard the end of the rape ordeal, with their daughter screaming for the attacker to ‘stop it’.

She was discovered, naked from the waist down and covered in mud, by a dog walker. Her parents and the police then arrived.

The attacker, from Clitheroe, who was already on bail for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in August 2010 – for which he was subsequently convicted – fled and was arrested later. At first he claimed sex was consensual, but eventually pleaded guilty to rape.

A 13-year-old girl who abused the mother in the street was identified to police and made to meet the family face-to-face and say sorry.

Further apologies followed, including one from a 15-year-old boy  who had threatened to burn down the house.

Detective Constable Will Biggar, of Lancashire Police, said: ‘Facebook has replaced the ‘‘talking over the backyard’’ mentality and time and time again we are coming across cases that are being undermined by people posting comments on social networking sites.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

Nice people in Clitheroe ! Obviously not everybody is like that there..but those that are should be ashamed of themselves!

I lived in Clitheroe i must say this article does not surprise me.
Definately a town with a bully mentality. I hope he girl gets the support she needs to be happy and safe.

Kirsten, Durham, 09/02/2012 04:21
No idea what article you THINK you’ve read but perhaps you should re-read this one because your comment is literally the biggest load of rubbish I have ever read.
I sincerely hope nothing like this ever happens to you or your loved ones.

Online bullies, many of whom are female, are as sick as rapists and murderers as their cowardly bullying can lead to suicide. Creeps.

31 months………………..a lousy 31 MONTHS, for raping an underage girl, and it was his second offence. Is the judge taking the mickey or what? How is that a deterrent. He’ll be out within 18 months and free to mock his victim all over again. The UK is a complete joke.

The Internet is a mask for cowards.

The human race really disgusts me.

Kirsten, Durham, 09/02/2012 04:21
Did you not read the article? Her parents heard her being raped over the phone, she was found semi naked and distressed. Not to mention the scumbag who did it admitted it in the end?!

Kirsten, Durham …. On this occasion it was not one girl as he was already on ail for an earlier sexual assault. I don’t

31 months? is there any wonder why people commit these crimes that sentance is almost laughable, so thats what you get for destroying this young girls trust in humanity and MEN probably for life.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

Views: 0

You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Leave a Reply

Powered by WordPress | Designed by: Premium WordPress Themes | Thanks to Themes Gallery, Bromoney and Wordpress Themes