Alleged victims changed their testimony in the rape trial of Anthony Shackell from Calcot, the jury was told

A woman who claims she was brutally raped as a child was asked: “Why didn’t you scream?”

The alleged victim was cross-examined about her statements in the trial against Anthony Shackell. Shackell is said to have threatened her family if she did not cooperate.

The 81-year-old from Mey Close, Calcot, is also accused of raping another girl and sexually assaulting a five-year-old.

Both main plaintiffs admitted to changing their original statements to the police.

At Reading Crown Court, defence counsel Simon Molyneux asked the first plaintiff: “Didn’t you shout at him: ‘You disgusting bastard, get your hands out of my trousers, what do you think you’re doing?'”

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She replied, “No.”

Mr Molyneux pressed: “Never?”

The woman replied, “Not once.

“I was a frightened child back then.”

Meanwhile, the second plaintiff has described how Shackell abused her in a similar manner and then allegedly raped her.

However, under cross-examination, she admitted that her original report to the police did not mention any actual rape.

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When asked by prosecutor Charles Ward Jackson why, she replied, “I thought I did it. I was pretty upset when I realized I didn’t.”

“I was scared… he would touch me and say things.”

Jurors were told that an initial trial was abandoned when it emerged during the hearing that the two adult plaintiffs had made far more serious allegations – actual rape – rather than just sexual touching.

Mr Shackell now faces 16 charges of rape, sexual assault by penetration and sexual touching of girls.

The third complainant is still a child and the sexual contact is said to have taken place when she was just five years old.

At the opening of the proceedings, Mr Ward-Jackson stated that this was a case of sexual abuse in the past.

Many of the charges are “testimonial charges,” the court said. This means that far more crimes were probably committed than were charged.

Mr Ward-Jackson added that Mr Shackell gained access to one of the victims and initially touched her breasts over her clothing.

The court heard that serious sexual assaults involving penetration had occurred.

Mr Ward-Jackson told the jury: “All of this was preparation for a much more serious crime.”

“He explored the terrain – you could also say he groomed himself.”

Mr Shackell then threatened to rape a family member if she did not comply with his request, the court heard.

Mr Ward-Jackson said: “He pushed her onto the bed, spread her legs, lay on top of her and raped her.”

“She fought back and tried to push him away… she was crying – he claimed she was enjoying it.”

The court heard that Mr Shackell behaved similarly towards another girl, raping her repeatedly.

Eventually, the two victims contacted each other and went to the police. However, an initial investigation did not result in any further action being taken.

But then Mr Shackell is accused of sexually abusing a five-year-old girl who told her father what had happened.

The father reported the incident to the police, who reopened the case, leading to the charges that Mr Shackell now faces.

Mr Ward-Jackson said that when questioned by detectives, Mr Shackell denied any sexual contact with any of the girls.

He explained that Mr Shackell had told police that the girls had made up a false story together.

One of the plaintiffs, now an adult, told the jury that Mr. Shackell had given her mother alcohol to gain access to her.

She said Mr Shackell then threatened to rape a member of her family and she made him promise not to do so if she cooperated.

The woman explained in court: “I asked him to promise me that he would not do this to them. I had to make him promise.”

Still, she added, she resisted when Mr. Shackell began to rape her.

The woman told the jury: “I tried to kick him. I said ‘no’ and told him to stop.”

“I said, ‘Please don’t do this’; I cried.”

Afterwards, she claimed, Mr Shackell said to her: “That was good – we’ll do it again.”

Mr Shackell denies all allegations made against him.

The process continues.