Rape trial witness insists sex was forced

The defence in a rape trial put it to the main prosecution witness yesterday that what happened in his presence was consensual sex between the two other parties and that his claims were figments of his imagination.

A 42-year-old man is on trial on charges of raping a 30-year-old woman who since died a year after the alleged offences. The main evidence is from a man who was present in the room during part of the disputed incident. He described what happened as rape and said the woman was degraded by the man.