YouTube rape mum arrested

This is Local London, April 1, 2008

A mum-of-five who claimed she was gang raped by a group of teens who 
posted a video of the incident on YouTube has been arrested in 
connection with the incident.

In a shocking twist, the 24-year-old currently living in temporary 
accommodation in south-west London with her partner and young children, 
was arrested on Friday on suspicion of having sex with a minor and 
perverting the course of justice.

She was subsequently bailed pending further inquiries and is due to 
return to the same police station later this month.

No charges will be brought against the three teens - two aged 16 and one 
aged 14 - who were arrested over the episode earlier this year.

The woman claimed the three youths spiked her drink and raped her 
repeatedly in a 14-hour ordeal at her south London home last November.

But she did not report it to the police straightaway and claimed she was 
too scared to do so because the teenagers kept threatening her.

It was only a few months later, when a friend spotted the sickening 
three-minute clip of the incident on YouTube, that her partner 
encouraged her to report it to police.

The video had been posted on the site shortly after the episode took 
place and was seen by 600 people before it was removed by YouTube in 
February.

The footage shows the mum having sex with the teens, while she is 
seemingly unconscious. Two of her children are heard crying in the 
background and at times the youths laugh into the camera.

But despite the horrific nature of the video, investigating police 
officers have questioned the woman's version of events. She could now be 
charged with having sex with a minor and perverting the course of justice.

Her children have also been placed on the Child Protection Register and 
she fears social services will take them away from her.

"I had no idea this would happen - I thought everything would be OK because I have told the truth," she said. "The police are turning it on me - it's ridiculous. I can't take much more.

Her partner of 10 years, and father of her children, added: "What's 
happened is totally outrageous. And we've been forced to stay where we 
are living for seven weeks - it's unacceptable.

"We've done nothing wrong and we're the ones suffering."