Sexually Abused Dana Baker Hanged Herself After Lawyer Slip Up
A teenage sexual abuse victim hanged herself near a busy roundabout in Kidderminster because she couldn't bare the prospect of a retrial for her attacker.
Dana Baker was 16 when she died while waiting on a retrial for karate instructor Jaspal Riat, 48 who had been raping her since the age of 13.
The court heard that Riat had tied Miss Baker up when she was just 13 and 14 and had sex with the young girl.
It has recently emerged that the first trial was halted after the judge found out that prosecutor David Jones had discussed the case with Baker over lunch at his home, breaking witness contact rules.
Jones resigned from the bar soon after the trial and Riat was eventually cleared of rape but given 8 years for sexual assault and seven counts of sexual activity with a child.
Judge Parker said at the time: "It is a very serious case, at its highest an allegation of rape of a young girl of 13 or 14 by a man in a position of trust.
"This morning matters have been drawn to my attention over concern about a meeting which prosecuting counsel, Mr David Jones, had with the complainant in the case.
"The long and short of it is that as a result of disclosures in respect of that meeting, the defence... wish that the jury be discharged and that some investigations take place concerning this meeting so that Mr Jones' position is clear and so that the defence have material upon which they might consider making further applications in respect of the trial."
Dana Baker hung herself on March 3 2011as a direct result of the decision to hold a retrial.
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