Teenage girl beaten to death by her own family after living under a 'regime of fear'

A teenage girl was beaten to death by her own family after living under a 'regime of fear' in which she was forced to lick the toilet bowl and eat her own faeces, a court has heard.

Shahena Uddin, 19, who was one of eight siblings, was 'regularly punished' by her brothers and sisters, for 'crimes' such as eating at the wrong speed. Punishments would allegedly include being force-fed rice and paper and being made to stand for long periods staring into a toilet bowl. 

She was even banned from using the toilet at their home in Watford but would be punished further if But the violence is alleged to have plumbed new depths of depravity in October last year when she was found beaten to death on her bathroom floor after choking on her own vomit.

The court heard how, when she was found the following day, the Bangladeshi teenager had endured 'several beatings' - including with weapons - and that both sides of her head had been severely attacked.

Ambulance staff, who were called to the house by the family, were told she was sick and fainted.
But by then, her four brothers, a sister and her two sisters-in-law had attempted to cover their tracks, the court was told. 

Prosecutor Simon Trimmer QC said blood and vomit stains had been covered up and that Shahena's bloodstained clothing had been put into bin bags outside.
He said:

'Shahena died at the hands of members of her own family in her own home. She probably endured several beatings that night.
'This was a troubled family unit held together by internal discipline of an extreme variety. She had been beaten with weapons during the previous 24 hours.'

Suhail Uddin, 35, and his wife Salma Begum, 32 - who became the teenager's legal guardians in 2010 - are now standing trial, accused of Shahena's murder. Begum is also accused of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

They were charged alongside Shahena's three other brothers, Jewell, 27, Jhuhal, 33 and Tohel Uddin, 24, who all deny causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

Shahena's sister Rehena Uddin, 22, also denies causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

Outlining the case, Mr Trimmer told the court:

 'Shahena was a vulnerable young person. She suffered abuse and violence at the hands of her own family.
'The regime of brutality and extreme violence was so deeply embedded and feared, that she could not risk the results of any form of complaint to the outside world.'

The court heard how, in 2010, her older brother Suhail and his wife Salma became the legal guardians of Shahena and two other sisters.
The jury was also told how Shahena told friends that she was beaten. But she would go on to deny the stories, amid fears she would be beaten.
Mr Trimmer said:

'When they tried to complain on her behalf, she was obliged, for fear of worse to come, to deny what she had said to those school friends.'

The court also heard how she was hit with weapons such as a Wii baseball bat, a mop handle and a glow stick and even made to eat her own vomit.
One of her sisters told police that the female siblings were often forced to eat too much rice 'if they didn't eat nicely', the court heard.
She said Shahena had spoken of running away.