Teenager 'petrified by stranger who held her' (From Worcester News)
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Teenager 'petrified by stranger who held her'
7:10am Wednesday 12th September 2012 in News
A TEENAGER has told a jury how she became “petrified” after a stranger followed her in Worcester city centre and then held her waist in a tight grip.
The 17-year-old also described how she screamed on five occasions in a bid to attract attention – but no one came to help her.
She claimed Rubio Costa asked to speak to her in CrownGate shopping centre on March 12 but she ignored him and began to feel “scared and worried”.
She said he deliberately blocked her path on the High Street and told her she was beautiful before following her to the Elgar statue.
The teenager told Worcester Crown Court : “He put his arm round me in a tight grip. I panicked and screamed. “I pushed his hand off my shoulder but he put it round my waist. I was petrified. I screamed and he let me go.”
Prosecutor Jason Pegg alleged the witness was one of six girls who were the victims of sex attacks in Worcester by Costa during a fortnight in March this year.
Costa, aged 25, of Broad Street, Worcester, denies seven counts of sexual assault. He claimed he was trying to make friends and that it was normal behaviour in Portugal – where he was born – for men to be more tactile towards girls.
The witness said she eventually walked in the Cathedral plaza where Costa tried to kiss her. She screamed again and ran away but he followed and allegedly grabbed her from behind.
“I tried to block him by putting my arms up,” she said. “He was breathing down my neck.”
The teenager refused his offer to have his mobile number and walked into the Shambles. But she claimed Costa pushed her head into his chest and kissed the top of it.
Adam Western, defending, insisted that Costa did not pursue the girl but only walked with her. He claimed the pair engaged in conversation before they hugged and separated.
A 15-year-old girl was in uniform when she was approached by Costa in CrownGate as she was walking back to school on March 1, the jury heard.
She told the court he stared at her, called her beautiful and kissed her hand. His actions made her feel uncomfortable.
On March 14 she saw Costa again in Worcester’s bus station and they sat on a bench together, where he allegedly put his hand on her thigh.
She claimed he kissed her neck, rubbed his hand up and down her back, touched her bottom and put both hands inside her shirt against her skin.
She said before they parted he gave her his phone number and she saved it in her mobile.
Mr Western suggested that Costa only kissed her hand and throughout the encounter the girl was smiling.
Both teenagers – who told police they had not consented to being touched – picked out Costa at an identification procedure at Worcester police station.
The trial continues.
Comments(14)
More Tea Vicar
says...
9:40am Wed 12 Sep 12
Fact is, we have more than enough of our own criminals, but surely we don't need to import those from other countries. We should have the right to decide who comes here, and who gets to stay.
We should be able to refuse entry or right to remain to people with a serious criminal record, and be able to expel people who commit serious crime once they are here.
And people who are here should adapt to us, not expect 'us' to adapt to them.
woogirl
says...
9:53am Wed 12 Sep 12
jovialcommonsense
says...
10:35am Wed 12 Sep 12
woogirl wrote:What do you expect when a Portuguese person uses Portuguese culture with British girls in Britain?
always gets turned into a race/cultural issues.
JohnCSG
says...
11:38am Wed 12 Sep 12
CJH
says...
11:44am Wed 12 Sep 12
JohnCSG wrote:More likely it's 'learned' culture from us unfortunately. And for every 'foreign' criminal here, you can probably find just as many British criminals overseas.
I highly doubt "Portuguese culture" promotes 25 year old men fondling 15 year old girls in public.
More Tea Vicar
says...
12:11pm Wed 12 Sep 12
woogirl wrote:Yes - by the defendant, in this case!!
always gets turned into a race/cultural issues.
Your point being?
More Tea Vicar
says...
12:20pm Wed 12 Sep 12
CJH wrote:Care to back that up with facts?
JohnCSG wrote: I highly doubt "Portuguese culture" promotes 25 year old men fondling 15 year old girls in public.More likely it's 'learned' culture from us unfortunately. And for every 'foreign' criminal here, you can probably find just as many British criminals overseas.
CJH
says...
12:39pm Wed 12 Sep 12
More Tea Vicar wrote:I used the words 'more likely' and 'probably'. I am allowed an opinion am I not? I do not have to disprove or prove anything to you, I merely offer it up to debate. It's very dangerous to use the phrase 'fact is', especially on this website.
CJH wrote:Care to back that up with facts?JohnCSG wrote: I highly doubt "Portuguese culture" promotes 25 year old men fondling 15 year old girls in public.More likely it's 'learned' culture from us unfortunately. And for every 'foreign' criminal here, you can probably find just as many British criminals overseas.
katiekins
says...
12:58pm Wed 12 Sep 12
More Tea Vicar wrote:O yes i agree with that.Maybe cut his hands off before he goes!!!!!
Send him home, more like. The citing of 'cultural differences' is pretty lame, but might not be entirely irrelevant.
Fact is, we have more than enough of our own criminals, but surely we don't need to import those from other countries. We should have the right to decide who comes here, and who gets to stay.
We should be able to refuse entry or right to remain to people with a serious criminal record, and be able to expel people who commit serious crime once they are here.
And people who are here should adapt to us, not expect 'us' to adapt to them.
thecigarman
says...
1:08pm Wed 12 Sep 12
More Tea Vicar
says...
5:04pm Thu 13 Sep 12
CJH wrote:You are indeed. Bit pointless though, isn't it. In my opinion.
More Tea Vicar wrote:I used the words 'more likely' and 'probably'. I am allowed an opinion am I not? I do not have to disprove or prove anything to you, I merely offer it up to debate. It's very dangerous to use the phrase 'fact is', especially on this website.CJH wrote:Care to back that up with facts?JohnCSG wrote: I highly doubt "Portuguese culture" promotes 25 year old men fondling 15 year old girls in public.More likely it's 'learned' culture from us unfortunately. And for every 'foreign' criminal here, you can probably find just as many British criminals overseas.
And (in my mate's opinion) the moon is made of cheese. And you have no right to contradict him.
More Tea Vicar
says...
5:05pm Thu 13 Sep 12
katiekins wrote:Well if that's what floats your boat.
More Tea Vicar wrote: Send him home, more like. The citing of 'cultural differences' is pretty lame, but might not be entirely irrelevant. Fact is, we have more than enough of our own criminals, but surely we don't need to import those from other countries. We should have the right to decide who comes here, and who gets to stay. We should be able to refuse entry or right to remain to people with a serious criminal record, and be able to expel people who commit serious crime once they are here. And people who are here should adapt to us, not expect 'us' to adapt to them.O yes i agree with that.Maybe cut his hands off before he goes!!!!!
Bit harsh, I'd have thought, but you are of course entitled to your views.
ushmush83
says...
11:34am Fri 14 Sep 12
CJH wrote:What a completely ludicrous comment!
JohnCSG wrote:More likely it's 'learned' culture from us unfortunately. And for every 'foreign' criminal here, you can probably find just as many British criminals overseas.
I highly doubt "Portuguese culture" promotes 25 year old men fondling 15 year old girls in public.
...'probably,' in my opinion.
I didn't realise touching up 15 year old girls was a corner stone in British society, Danny Boyle missed that bit out of the ceremony didn't he?!
katiekins says...
8:40am Wed 12 Sep 12