Rape trial: men acquitted

Three fruit pickers accused of raping a 19-year-old woman ay Bognor Regis have been acquitted of all charges.

Madalin-daniel Nitu, 23, Genghiz Iasear, 27, and Ionel-mizel Ciocan, 25, all farm workers from Romania employed at Groves Farm, Colworth, were accused of raping the teenager in the early hours of March 9 in Bognor Regis.

The trial at Portsmouth Crown Court had heard that the alleged victim met Ciocan during a drunken night out at a nightclub. The defendants had denied all charges and said the sex was consensual.

On Friday the three men were acquitted of all charges, the Crown Prosecution Service confirmed.