Gosport man told alleged rape victim not to tell her parents as they 'wouldn't believe her', court hears
“I was scared to tell my parents what was happening,” the alleged victim told police.
A child was told that being raped was a “punishment” and that her parents “wouldn't believe her” a court has heard.
Alex Kaunda, 26 from St Nicholas Avenue in Gosport, has been charged with one count of assaulting a child under 13 via penetration and six counts of raping a child under 13, in what the court was told constituted a torrent of abuse from 2016 until 2020. His alleged victim has a life-long right to anonymity.
As the trial opened at Portsmouth Crown Court today (Monday, April 13), Gary Venturi, prosecuting, told the jury that Kaunda's victim was not only raped on multiple occasions, but instructed not to tell her parents.
Mr Venturi said: “In 2023, a number of years after the abuse had come to an end, the victim came forward, passing a letter to a teacher in school. Eventually police became involved, and that's how we ended up here.
“When she was eight, she was raped in a bathroom - he [Kaunda] was 15 at the time. This was followed by a number of such incidents.
“On one occasion, he told her this was happening by way of punishment, and not to tell her parents because they wouldn't believe her.
“In 2020 was the final time she was raped. She was about 12 at that time. It was three years later that she reported it to a teacher at school.”
As evidence began, a video recording of the alleged victim's first interview with police was played in court.
Speaking to an officer, she said: “He wouldn't stop until he was satisfied.
“When they [my parents] were mad at me, they wouldn't really talk to me, so I would just sit in my room by myself.
“I was scared to tell my parents what was happening. He told me they would be disappointed.
“I don't want anyone to go through anything like I've gone through.”
Kaunda, who wore a cream suit with a white shirt and red tie in the dock, denies the allegations, saying these incidents never took place. The trial is set to continue throughout this week.
Proceeding