A man sexually abused and tortured two children in
A man sexually abused and tortured two children in his care
with Japanese-style PoW tactics, a court heard today.
The brother and sister suffered agony at the hands of the
25-year-old jobless ex-bus driver for more than a year while
their mother spent periods in hospital, it was said.
He forced the youngsters to remain in the press-up position
for as long as an hour at a time.
Other punishments included standing with their hands above their
heads or keeping one finger on the ground with a leg in the air,
jurors at Inner London Crown Court were told.
On one occasion he made the boy and his cousin stand in
near boiling bath water when they tried to run away.
He threatened the children into submission by telling them
they would be put into care because their sick mother was too
unwell to look after them.
He also threatened to beat them, said prosecutor Stephen Ridley.
The incidents happened while he was looking after the brother,
now 13, and his sister, now 12, between May 1991 and May 1992.
The ordeal came to light when the children’s mother came out
of hospital and became suspicious.
She took out a court injunction
to stop him seeing her youngsters.
The little boy, one of four children of the family, said he
had known the defendant eight years.
He said the man first sexually abused him when he was staying
at the defendant’s mother’s home.
The assaults became more frequent when he got his own flat.
The lad told the court: ‘He made me and my sister sleep
in the same bed with him.
After awhile he started touching me up
and putting his hand down my pyjama bottoms.
He would keep it there
for sometimes 20 minutes.
‘When I told him not to do it he just told me: “Shut up”‘.
He added: ‘He made us call him dad.
If he didn’t do what he wanted
us to do, like make him a cup of tea, he would punish us.
‘He would make us put our hands in the air for about an hour.
He also made us put one finger on the ground while keeping a leg
in the air, or in the press up position for an hour.
‘
The boy claimed he also bathed them against their wishes
while looking after them at their Walworth, South London, home.
‘I didn’t say anything because I was scared and he was
threatening me.
My mum got suspicious that something was going on
and she didn’t want us to see him.
He kept on coming round to
our house and my mum got an injunction out.
‘
The boy also claimed: ‘Once, me and my cousin ran out when he
got in a mood.
He caught us and after we had undressed to go to
bed he made us stand in boiling hot water in the bath.
I kept jumping
out because it was burning my feet.
‘
He denies indecent assault and child cruelty in relation to both
brother and sister.
He does not face any charge concerning the
cousin.
The trial continues.
ENDS
