Jury dismissed in "Meadowhall" rape case

A jury in the trial of three men accused of raping and sexually exploiting two teenage girls has been dismissed at Sheffield Crown Court.
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Judge David Dixon told them there may be a re-trial, but added he couldn’t say anymore in the circumstances.

He thanked them for bearing with the court under the difficult circumstances of the pandemic.

The trial, which started on October 1, previously heard that the girls were allegedly groomed, sexually-exploited and abused by three men after they used to visit the Meadowhall Shopping Centre, in 2002.

Meadowhall shopping centre.Meadowhall shopping centre.
Meadowhall shopping centre.

Yasser Hussain, 37, of Norborough Road, Tinsley, Sheffield, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and two counts of indecent assault.

Azad Raja, 37, of Adney Street, Sheffield, pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape and two counts of indecent assault.

A third defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, denied two counts of indecent assault on the second girl.

They were bailed to return to court at a later date.

Read the latest cases from Sheffield Crown Court here.

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