Katie Price appeared angry and indifferent to the plight of the teenage girl allegedly raped by her then-husband, Kieran Hayler, the complainant's mother testified in court. Hayler is currently on trial at Lewes Crown Court, facing accusations of three counts of rape and one sexual assault against the girl in 2016, all of which he denies.
The complainant's mother told the court on Thursday that when she informed Price of the allegations, the former glamour model "was quite angry and I didn't feel she was particularly upset for [the complainant]." She further stated, "I didn't feel she cared about my daughter."
According to the mother's testimony, the teenager disclosed to her a year after the alleged assaults that Hayler had "done everything to her." The mother described being "shocked" and found it difficult to elicit further details from her daughter due to her distress.
The mother explained that she felt compelled to inform Price about the allegations. She recounted that Price's initial reaction was one of shock, possibly accompanied by swearing. "I feel she was just angry and feeling revengeful towards Kieran," the complainant's mother added.
However, the alleged victim's mother emphasized that her daughter did not want the matter to become public, and their wishes were respected at the time. The mother acknowledged that telling Price led to disagreements between her and her daughter, suggesting it may have felt like a breach of trust. "Yes, she probably didn't want anyone to ever know and yes it did cause arguments," she stated.
The court heard that the mother noticed significant behavioral changes in her daughter, including her becoming more withdrawn. A particular concern was the daughter's compulsive washing, showering up to four times a day and scrubbing her skin, which worried the mother. When asked about this behavior, the daughter reportedly said, "I just feel dirty all the time."
The complainant contacted the NSPCC in 2021, which subsequently referred her to the police, initiating the investigation. The mother recounted the day her daughter informed her about reporting the incident to the police, noting that her daughter had still not revealed the exact details of what had happened.
Later, after the report was made, the mother and daughter discussed the events. The daughter expressed that thinking about what happened made her feel "sick and dirty." She initially believed the experiences were normal but later realized, due to her age at the time, that they were not, leading to feelings of being "dirty."
During the proceedings, it was suggested that Hayler claimed his ex-wife, Price, had "launched a campaign" against him following their marriage breakdown, and that these allegations were part of that campaign. Hayler was married to Price at the time of the alleged incidents. Their relationship ended in 2018, and they divorced in 2021. The alleged victim is not related to either Hayler or Price's extended families. The trial is ongoing.