Children's home teens 'fresh meat' for men - court

Two teenagers were regularly raped by men while they were living in a children's home in Rotherham, a court has heard.

The girls were sexually assaulted several times a week over a period of six months by a gang of men who referred to them as "fresh meat", Sheffield Crown Court was told.

Prosecutor Gordon Stables said both the complainants were "befriended" by Romulad Stefan Houphouet, who is now 37, Absolom Sigiyo, now 41, Jacek Brzozowski, now 35, "and also other associates".

Houphouet, of Sheffield, and Sigiyo, of Rotherham, deny charges including rape. Brzozowski, of Rotherham, denies one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity.

Mr Stables said: "The defendants gained the girls' trust and confidence by plying them with alcohol and giving them cigarettes at house parties and offering them flirtatious attention.

"Both girls became conditioned to having regular sexual intercourse with the same male."

Mr Stables said the girls were "given attention and made to feel wanted and grown-up".

Mr Stables said: "The clear pre-meditated intention was to ensure that the girls entered into and remained in a state of compliance so that they would surrender easily and offer no resistance to the sexual advances and activity that would inevitably follow."

Mr Stables explained how Houphouet befriended the two girls in Rotherham town centre one evening more than 10 years ago and raped one of them in an alleyway on that night.

He said Houphouet took both girls the short distance to a house in the town and introduced them to Sigiyo "and other males who were undoubtedly present".

At the house Houphouet raped the same girl again and Sigiyo raped the other, the prosecutor said.

He said: "They were both significantly impaired by the effects of drink and were powerless to prevent the actions of older and more mature individuals determined to exploit them for sexual purposes."

It became clear from the outset that Houphouet had picked one of the girls "as his victim" and Sigiyo had chosen the other, Mr Stables told the jury.

He said: "Regular sexual offending took place, principally at a residential address (in Rotherham), for approximately six months."

Jurors at Sheffield Crown Court were told the investigation into what happened to the two girls was part of the wider inquiry into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in the South Yorkshire town.

Houphouet, of Burngreave, denies four counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

Sigiyo, of Catcliffe, denies four counts of rape, one of attempted rape, one of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, and one of intimidation.

Brzozowski, of Rawmarsh, denies one count of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The jury heard he has admitted a charge of penetrative sexual activity with a child.

The trial, which is expected to last six weeks, continues.

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