Teen sexually assaulted on the day he came out, court hears
A teenager in Bristol has told a court he was sexually assaulted on the same day that he came out to his family and was made homeless.
The 17-year-old, who has been granted anonymity for legal reasons, told Bristol Crown Court how a taxi driver sexually assaulted him while he was fleeing from his family last October.
According to the Bristol Post, the teen said he had been trying to find emergency accommodation after being forced to flee his home.
Staff at a local Asda phoned social services, and arranged a taxi to youth housing, the Bristol Foyer.
However, instead of taking him directly to the shelter, the teen told the court that 62-year-old driver David Whitrow took him home and assaulted him.
He told the court: “He said: ‘You look like you’ve had a rough day’.
“I told him I had just come out to my family. He started to give me a sexual look. It started to freak me out.
“He didn’t say to me that he was gay at first. He just gave me a really weird sexual look.”
However, rather than take the teen to the accommodation, the court heard that Mr Whitrow instead pulled up outside a house and went outside.
After five minutes the teen went inside the house to hurry up the driver, when the assault allegedly occurred.
The teen told the court: “He had been fondling me in the car. I didn’t want anything to do with him.
The lad said: “He started kissing me. I said: ‘Get your hands off me’ and then he did what he did.
“He started to undo my belt and my body just froze. I couldn’t move, I just went numb.
“I just closed my eyes, I didn’t take any notice of what he was doing. I wanted it over and done with, I was petrified for my life.”
Prosecutors asked the teen whether he ‘fancied’ the taxi driver, but he replied: “I didn’t fancy him. He was old enough to be my granddad.”
David Whitrow denies causing a person to engage in sexual activity without their consent.
The case continues.
Comments have been closed for legal reasons.
