News

British singer accused of rape “petrified” as he is named online

A woman claims she was assaulted in the 70s when she was 14 years old

| Updated:

Earlier this month we reported that police were investigating an accusation of rape against a British pop star.

The attack is alleged to have taken place in the 70s, when the alleged victim was 14 years old.

The singer – who has not been charged, arrested or questioned over the incident – is now said to be “petrified” that these claims will destroy his life, after a photograph of him alongside the teenager was published on a US website.

Read more: Soap boss defends controversial rape story

Further, a video of the alleged victim naming him and describing the assault she claims took place has been viewed by thousands of people.

Detectives launched an investigation into the woman’s accusations at the start of April.

Now in her 50s, she spoke in graphic detail about her alleged attack to The Sun on Sunday.

She claimed the world-famous artist pinned her down and raped her on a hotel bed after plying her with alcohol, leaving her in pain and covered in bruises.

The teen was earlier given tickets to the star’s concert and was reportedly picked out of the audience by his bodyguard and invited to his hotel the next day.

The following day she found herself in the hit maker’s suite where he posed for a photograph alongside her – which has been supplied as evidence – before giving her champagne.

Read more: Shocking rape scene divides viewers

Detailing the alleged attack to the tabloid, she said: “Before I knew it, it was like an immobility had set in there and then. He had me down on the bed in one fell swoop.

“His gown was off. I was wearing a jumpsuit. He zipped it down and what had started as affectionate and safe, almost, was suddenly becoming painful and forceful, not comfortable.

“I was confused and couldn’t understand where the pain was coming from.

“It was just beyond me. I was very numb and found that I could not move. All I heard repetitively as he was pinning me down was: ‘Relax, relax,’ and: ‘It won’t hurt if you relax’.

“I never understood at the time what he was trying to say. I was very naive. I thought I had hurt him and was so frightened.”

The woman claims she was too ashamed to confide in friends and family and has been left too traumatised to form normal relationships with men.

It has emerged that she emailed her allegations to Scotland Yard in 2013 but, as the alleged attack took place abroad, it was not within the force’s jurisdiction.

However, the case was registered and details passed to detectives in the relevant country, who launched a probe, only to drop it some six months later.

Last month it was disclosed that a new prosecutor and investigating officer were working on the case.

The Sun on Sunday quotes a lawyer in the city where it’s claimed the rape happened as saying: “The alleged victim is a credible witness with excellent recall of the facts.

“The key to a successful prosecution is finding witnesses who place the complainant in the star’s suite and who can speak for her childlike demeanour.”


Kaggie Hyland
Editor-in-Chief