Kieran Hayler denies rape charges as complainant describes alleged assaults at 13
Developed over time first seen 11 hours ago
Kieran Hayler is on trial at Lewes Crown Court, where a woman has accused him of raping her three times when she was 13. She told police that, after the alleged assaults, he urged her to keep their relationship secret and said she should take it to the grave; Hayler denies all the charges.
The complainant, now 23, said the encounters left her crying and that she blamed herself for years. She contacted the NSPCC in 2021, saying she feared he might harm someone else; the charity referred her to police. Hayler, 39, has pleaded not guilty to three rape counts and one sexual assault charge relating to 2016 at Katie Price’s former home in West Sussex. The court also heard he says the allegations were made up as part of a campaign against him.
- A woman says Hayler raped her three times when she was 13.
- She told police he urged her to keep the alleged assaults secret.
- Hayler denies three rape charges and one sexual assault charge.
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Kieran Hayler, 39, is on trial charged with raping and assaulting a girl when she was 13 years old. He faces three rape charges and one count of sexual assault relating to incidents in 2016. Hayler denies all the allegations.
The woman is now 23 and reported the matter to the NSPCC in 2021, several years after the alleged assaults. She told the charity she was concerned he might harm someone else. The NSPCC referred her to police, which led to his prosecution.
Hayler has pleaded not guilty and told the court that the allegations are false and part of a campaign against him. The trial at Lewes Crown Court will examine the evidence from both sides.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The complainant has provided specific, detailed allegations describing three rapes at age 13, with accounts of being instructed to keep the relationship secret and conceal it permanently. Her delayed reporting to the NSPCC in 2021 reflects established psychological patterns in child sexual abuse, where victims often internalise shame and self-blame before finding the courage to disclose; her documented psychological trauma is consistent with harm inflicted by such abuse.
The case against
The defendant maintains his innocence, asserting that the allegations are part of a campaign against him. For accusations based on events five years prior, the reliability of memory over such a period becomes a significant consideration; how the allegations emerged and alternative explanations deserve examination. The presumption of innocence and the requirement that guilt be proven beyond reasonable doubt are fundamental protections that demand rigorous scrutiny when such serious charges are brought.
Full account
Kieran Hayler has denied three counts of rape and one count of sexual assault as a woman told Lewes Crown Court that he assaulted her on three occasions when she was 13. The alleged offences took place in West Sussex in 2016. Hayler, 39, was then married to model and television personality Katie Price. The complainant, now 23, cannot be named for legal reasons. The allegations remain before the jury.
Giving evidence on Tuesday, the woman said Hayler sent her a message after the third alleged rape saying, “I love you goodnight”, and that she replied, “I love you too”. She also described a telephone call a year or two later in which, she said, he told her their relationship was special and asked her to keep it secret because he would get into trouble if she spoke about it. She said she feared he would accuse her of lying if she disclosed what had happened.
Jurors also heard an earlier police interview in which the woman said she had initially given her mother an incomplete account. She said she felt ashamed and blamed herself for years. She contacted the NSPCC in 2021, and the charity referred her to police. Explaining her decision, she said she had become angry after seeing a positive news account of Hayler as a father and worried that someone else might make a similar allegation in future.
The defence challenged the reliability of her recollection, particularly her difficulty distinguishing details of the second and third alleged rapes. During questioning by Hayler’s barrister, Arlette Piercy, the woman said she felt sick and left the courtroom. Hayler denied the allegations when police interviewed him in January 2022 and has pleaded not guilty to every charge. The jury has yet to decide the case.
Where outlets differ
The supplied reports agree on the charges, Hayler’s denial and the complainant’s account. Source 1 gives more space to why she delayed telling her mother and why she approached the NSPCC; Source 2 places greater emphasis on the defence’s questions about her memory and her departure from the courtroom. Both highlight the alleged text message and later request for secrecy.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Kieran Hayler ‘told girl he raped to take it to the grave’ as court hears 13-year-old was left in tears by encounter”.