7 Oct 2016
Leazes Park sex assault trial: Errors from
Arabic translations delay proceedings
Errors in interpreting
three Arabic-speaking men’s police interviews have caused delays in their
sexual assault trial, a jury has been told.
Married Syrian Mohammed
Alfrouh, 20, denies molesting two 14-year-old girls in Leazes Park, Newcastle
in May.
He is on trial at Newcastle
Crown Court for three counts of sexual assault.
Co-accused Omar Badreddin,
18, and Mohammed Allakkoud, 18, each deny a single count of sexual assault,
said to have been on a girl behind a pavilion in the park.
During the trial which
started last week, the jury has been read transcripts of the defendants’
interviews after they were arrested, where detectives’ questions were asked in
English, translated into Arabic then the men’s replies were interpreted back
into English.
Judge Edward Bindloss told
the jury: “It has turned out in each of the three defendants’ cases there were
some errors made in interpretation, some of them minor, some of them more
significant.
“The problem was discovered
on Wednesday afternoon, when things were re-checked and all of yesterday was
taken up with interpreters re-transcribing, which is a long process.
“It’s not the fault of the
four barristers, it’s not the fault of any of the three defendants.
“It’s not the fault of any
of the solicitors in this case.
“The CPS are not to blame,
none of the defence teams are to blame.”
The judge did not want to
prolong the trial unnecessarily, adding: “However, we all have a responsibility
to put before you accurate evidence.
“You have a decision to
make, you cannot make a decision on faulty evidence.
“The bad news is, it is
going to take a bit longer. I’m going to send you away until 10.30am Monday
morning.”
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