A MAN has been accused of raping a girl when she was “five or six years old”.

Roger Robinson, 69, of Beachy Road, Crawley, is facing 15 counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault. He denies the charges.

Her Honour Judge Shani Barnes told the jury at Hove Crown Court on April 1 they were hearing a “very complex” case for “several” reasons, not least the historic nature of the allegations. The jury was told that the offences are now alleged to have taken place over a period of 17 years.

“You will hear from counsel that the dates are parameters,” she said. “Due to the delay in this case coming to court the dates in the first count against the defendant can’t be precise.”

She added that due to the lack of scientific evidence it was vital that the jury consider everything they have heard during the trial “in an analytical way”.

One of the rape charges against Robinson involves a claim that he invited two other men to have sex with the girl.

In his summing up of the case, Rowan Jenkins, prosecuting, described the alleged actions of Robinson as “depraved”.

He added that the alleged abuse was “physically painful and mentally painful”.

However, Nicholas Hamblin, defending, told the jury that the allegations were “a fantasy”.

“These offences didn’t happen,” he said.

In summing up, he told the jury they were faced with a “difficult and uphill task”, and said these were “terrible” allegations to make against his client, the most unpleasant allegation being that Robinson invited two men to have sex with the girl.

“These allegations are a fantasy, an unpleasant fantasy. We can’t tell you why [they are being made] but they are a fantasy.”

The trial continues.

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