Boy raped his sister, court told.

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy from the Cotswolds has gone on trial at

Gloucester Crown Court accused of sexually abusing his sister

over four years – including raping her three times.

The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, started

going into her bedroom when she was 11 and looking at her body

and then went on to touch her, the jury was told.

The abuse continued and he raped her three times, the court

heard.

At one stage he threatened his sister with his knife if she

didn't comply with his wishes.

She spoke out about the ordeal in December 2006, the jury

heard.

The youth denies nine counts of sexual offences against the

girl.

His trial began on Thursday at Gloucester Crown Court.

Crown Prosecutor Lynn Matthews said the girl involved – now

16 – had given a note to her father in early summer 2004 which

said, her brother touched her.

When she was asked about it, she said he had touched her a

couple of times but her brother denied any involvement with her

at all, said Mrs Matthews.

On December 14, 2006, she confided in the assistant

headteacher at school he had visited her bedroom since she was

12 and had touched her a couple of times a week.

After the note to her father the abuse stopped for a while

but then resumed and continued until July 2006, the trial

heard.

The assistant headteacher contacted the girl's mother and

social services also became involved.

When challenged, the boy again denied the allegation.

The girl went to stay away from the family for a time and

when she returned just before Christmas 2006, a lock was put on

her door.

But on September 11 last year, the jury was told he knocked

on her door and then caressed her breast before stooping to

kiss her, but she turned away and he left the room.

The next day, she made a complaint and the police became

involved, the jury heard.

The boy pleaded not guilty to indecently assaulting the girl

between December 2002 and December 2003 and denied a second

count of indecent assault on her.

He has denied a third count of sexually assaulting the

girl.

He also denied indecent assault and a fifth charge of

forcing her to have oral sex.

On the sixth charge, he pleaded not guilty to raping her

when she was 12 and denied an alternative charge – of raping a

child under 13 (under the new law when the act changed).

He also denied a seventh charge of raping her between

December 2004 and December 2005 and denied an eighth count of

rape – when she was 14 between August and December 2006.

Finally, he pleaded not guilty to sexually assaulting her on

September 10 last year, by intentionally touching her

breast.