London sex slavery case: Woman who escaped from Maoist collective after 22 years 'sent back by police'

The woman fled to Streatham police station but staff persuaded her to call her father to pick her up

Aravindan Balakrishnan, a former Maoist Cult leader, is charged with 25 historical offences, including rape, false imprisonment, assault and child cruelty over allegations he kept 3 women as slaves at a flat in Brixton (Gavin Rodgers/Pixel 8000 Ltd)

A woman imprisoned from birth in a radical Maoist collective run by her domineering father attempted to escape after 22 years but was sent back home by police, a court has heard.

The woman fled to Streatham police station on a May Bank Holiday in 2005 after suffering years of violence and mental subjugation but staff did not know what to do and persuaded her to call her father to pick her up, Southwark Crown Court heard.

Despite being promised that things would get better after she got home, she was slapped for being a traitor, described as a police agent and told that she would only be able to get a job as a prostitute if she were to leave the house, said Rosina Cottage QC, for the prosecution.

Jurors heard that the woman remained in the collective for another eight years before she secretly fled after gathering her lifetime savings of £200 and leaving a bitter note to the “abusers and tormentors” that she left behind.

In the note, she said that nothing had changed since the day of her first escape bid. “I'm still treated in the same demeaning way,” according to extracts of the note read out in court. “I have over the years repeatedly pleaded with you lot not to abuse me like this, but all you have done is brush it aside expecting me to believe all those ludicrous, ridiculous stories as if I'm a dim-witted silly little girl.”

It went on: “I may have no wealth, no property, no position, no prestige. But I do have my dignity and I'll defend it with my life.”

Comrade Bala and another member of the collective came to collect her 'with promises that things would improve' (John Stillwell/PA Wire)

The 2005 escape attempt was the woman’s first solo foray outside of the communist collective set up by her father in the 1970s in which he employed brutal and calculated manipulation to bend the women-only group to his will.

His daughter – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was rarely allowed out and had little contact with the outside world. She was forced to worship her father as a God-like figure who had power over all natural things, the court was heard. The court has heard that he used his dominant power to rape two women.

His daughter was denied friendships and schooling, and was warned that she faced execution from a mysterious mythical entity after revealing a teenage crush on Ken Livingstone, the court heard. In a poem found in diary, she described herself as the “shadow woman”.

She secretly packed her bags on May 2, 2005, as she was fed up of being a “non-person” and fled even though she knew nobody to run to, jurors were told.

Passers-by directed her to police station where she met a member of staff called Donna and told her that she was running away because of the oppression. She did not detail the violence.

“Donna did not know what to do,” said Ms Cottage. “It was a Bank Holiday and there was nowhere for her to go.”

She was persuaded to call the defendant as she was told that otherwise she would be reported as a missing person. Comrade Bala and another member of the collective came to collect her “with promises that things would improve. She thought as the police were involved, they would listen,” the court heard.

After she finally escaped in 2013 with the help of a charity, it was discovered that she had no idea how to cross roads or buy tickets for public transport, and had no concept of money, jurors were told.

She would avoid anything that used a plug. The court heard that as a small child Mr Balakrishnan had put her very close to a piece of electrical equipment and told her that it could blow up at any time if she moved from that spot, the court was told.

Mr Balakrishnan, of Enfield, north London, denies the rape and indecent assault of two women in the 1970s and 80s. He also denies child cruelty and false imprisonment related to his daughter.

The trial continues.

An extract from the farewell note:

“For my abusers and tormentors

“I know I have been acting as if everything is fine in the past few years.

“But I don't think you should be surprised to find that I've gone away and will never, ever, ever be returning.

“There are no words to describe the extreme hurt and anger I feel about the totally inhumane way you have treated me.

“Chained me up like a prisoner, controlling every aspect of my life and controlling everything for me with absolutely no regards for my feelings.

“I've been cursed, insulted, mocked, denigrated, excluded, beaten up, caged up like a wild animal, deprived of what really matters to me, (and no I do not mean material things), presumed upon, imposed upon - the list is endless. You know very well what I mean.

“Nothing has really changed since 2 May 2005. I'm still treated in the same demeaning way. I have over the years repeatedly pleaded with you lot not to abuse me like this, but all you have done is brush it aside expecting me to believe all those ludicrous, ridiculous stories as if I'm a dim-witted silly little girl.

“I'm sick to death of being held hostage by you lot. Of your hypocritical so-called sympathy for other people, you think you can just fob me off with a few stupid words and tall stories.

“And on top of all this, you expect me to worship you and promote you and go along with all your sick fantasies - well not any more!

“You really ought to be ashamed of yourselves, and if you're not it means that there is something severely wrong with you.

“Not hoping to see you soon.

As a PS, she added: “You may have noticed I have changed my name. I want nothing to do with my old life, my life of abuse. That name has nothing but bad memories.

“I may have no wealth, no property, no position, no prestige. But I do have my dignity and I'll defend it with my life.”

A poem in her diary entitled: “I am the shadow woman.”

“One is my father, but I am not meant to be his daughter.

“One is my mother, but I wasn’t meant to be her daughter.

“I’ve had grandfathers, grandmothers, uncles, aunties, cousins, but I'm not able to be their relative.

“I live in a house, but I'm not meant to be staying there. I have no school, no name, no job, no friends, no home.

“I have a lover, but I'm not meant to be his lover.

“I'm alive (or so ‘tis said) but maybe I’m meant to be dead.

“I am the shadow woman.”