Deaf Pakistani girl describes ordeal as sex slave

LONDON — A young, deaf Pakistani woman says she was only 10 when she was trafficked into Britain where she was repeatedly raped and beaten for nearly a decade.

The woman, now in her 20s, told a court Monday that she was kept in a cellar and forced to work as a virtual slave.

A Pakistani couple — 83-year-old Ilyas Ashar and his wife, 66-year-old Tallat Ashar — are accused of false imprisonment, human trafficking, sexual offenses, violence and benefit fraud. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said she was brought from Pakistan to work as a domestic servant in Manchester.

It is unclear why Britain's Home Office permitted the couple to bring the girl.