Mourad Iyad Marei Salloum, a 21-year-old asylum seeker from Jordan, is on trial at Manchester Crown Court for allegedly raping a 16-year-old girl in February. Prosecutors claim he lured her to a city center car park after she asked him and his friend for a cigarette while drunk. The defendant denies the charges, arguing that CCTV footage does not identify him as being present and disputing how his DNA ended up on the victim's neck. The trial is ongoing, with defense lawyers raising questions about previous allegations made by the victim.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted
verbatim and was checked against the article text before being
stored, so you can find it in the original.
Leaning score +0.35 for article 11965 (medium confidence, 2 verified quotes) · logged 2026-09-16
- See more Daily Mail on Google - save us as a Preferred Source
An asylum seeker repeatedly raped a 16-year-old girl after luring her into a city centre car park, a jury has heard.
asserted
jury → see → park
Mourad Iyad Marei Salloum, 21, is alleged to have met the teenager just minutes before as she stopped to ask him and his friend for a cigarette.
asserted
she → allege → cigarette
Manchester Crown Court heard how the teenager had gone to meet friends in Manchester City Centre before she found herself 'drunk' and alone.
asserted
herself → hear → Centre
She is said to have been walking near Piccadilly Gardens in February this year when she encountered the two men.
asserted
she → say → men
Jurors were told that after giving her a cigarette, she followed them to a nearby car park to fetch a lighter.
asserted
she → tell → lighter
But once she was there, it is alleged, she was repeatedly raped by Salloum close to a parked car.
asserted
she → allege → car
The defendant's accomplice is said to have interrupted him and said: 'When is it my turn?'
asserted
it → say → him
After the alleged attack, the teenager was able to flee and speak to passers-by before alerting police.
asserted
teenager → allege → police
Adam Lodge, prosecuting, said the defendant had 'deliberately isolated' the vulnerable teenager before carrying out his attack.
asserted
defendant → prosecute → attack
Manchester Crown Court (pictured) heard how the teenager had gone to meet friends in Manchester City Centre before she found herself 'drunk' and alone
Giving evidence, the teenager recalled meeting the men and engaging in conversation with them.
asserted
teenager → picture → them
She admitted being 'really drunk' after having four-and-a-half BuzzBallz drinks and asking them for a cigarette.
asserted
She → admit → cigarette
One of the men asked her how old she was, she said, before she told them she was 16.
asserted
she → ask → them
She described to the jury how she followed the men, walked up several flights of stairs and across the car park before being repeatedly raped.
asserted
she → describe → park
During the attack, it is alleged Salloum kissed her on the lips and neck.
asserted
Salloum → allege → lips
Salloum, who is originally from Jordan, denies three counts of rape and one of sexual assault.
asserted
who → deny → assault
He has admitted a charge of possessing cannabis.
asserted
He → admit → cannabis
He has denied that CCTV images show him entering the car park, claiming it is a different man in the footage.
He also disputes how his DNA came to be found on the teenager's neck.
Barry Grennan, defending, claimed the teenager told one of the men that she 'liked' and was 'attracted' to him, which she denied.
asserted
she → deny → which
She also said it was 'false' she pulled the man towards her and kissed him on the mouth.
asserted
she → say → mouth
Mr Grennan asked her about previous 'false' allegations she made against a male school student of a sexual nature, which she denied fabricating.
asserted
she → ask → which
The jury heard she had also made seven separate complaints of sexual assault in Manchester city centre since being allegedly raped by Salloum.
uncertain
she → hear → Salloum
Mr Grennan asked why she kept 'going back' there alone, despite these alleged attacks.
asserted
she → ask → attacks
The teenager responded by saying she liked to meet friends there and 'found a bit of comfort' being around them.
asserted
she → respond → them
The trial continues.
asserted
trial → continue → ?
At the time of the alleged rape, Salloum was a resident of a Holiday Inn hotel in Manchester.
asserted
Salloum → allege → Manchester
The hotel was the scene of a protest and violent disorder in July 2024 when demonstrators gathered and clashed with riot police.
asserted
demonstrators → gather → police
The disorder came as other rioting broke out across the UK in the wake of three girls being stabbed to death at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport.
asserted
girls → come → Southport
The Aporia
