Rape trial witness silent on 'theft'

A woman who accused her adoptive father of raping her when she was a child, yesterday exercised her right to refuse to answer a question which might have incriminated her.

The 20-year-old was accused by defence barrister Raymond Yu of having been a thief, a liar and a runaway.

Deputy Judge Clare Beeson warned the witness: 'You don't have to answer these questions if you feel they might lead to you being accused of a charge of stealing.' The woman refused to answer Mr Yu when he asked her if she had stolen jewels from her parents. But she admitted taking money from them, saying: 'Yes, because when I asked them for money they never gave me any.' She agreed she had frequently run away from home as a child and played truant from school.

But the witness strenuously denied shoplifting from supermarkets or stealing from her classmates.

At one stage the judge asked Mr Yu whether his questions were relevant to the case. He told her: 'I am trying to establish bad character. I am doing my best to destroy the credibility of this witness. I think what I am asking is highly relevant.' The defendant, a 42-year-old garage boss, denies three counts of rape and four of abuse when the woman was aged 12 and 13.

The witness told the High Court she liked her natural father better than the defendant and wished her mother could be reunited with him.