Woman charged after teen ‘kidnapped, sexually assaulted’

A woman accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl before allegedly lighting her hijab on fire has a history of violent offences, a court has heard.

A woman accused of kidnapping a 14-year-old girl and allegedly plying her with drugs before the teen was sexually assaulted by another person has a history of violent offences, a court has heard.

Elham Naaman, 24, was arrested on Sunday morning over the alleged attack on the teen in June this year in which she and another man allegedly took her to a hotel in Parramatta and detained her.

It is alleged that while at the hotel the girl was given the drugs ice and GHB, before being taken to a unit in Greenacre where she was sexually assaulted.

Naaman faced Bankstown Local Court on Tuesday over another unrelated charge, in which she allegedly set fire to a Newcastle hotel room in an apparent bid to destroy evidence of a stabbing.

Elham Naaman.

That matter was brought forward to court following her arrest on the weekend for the alleged kidnapping of the girl, and led to Naaman’s history of jail time and alleged serious offences being aired.

The court heard that on August 14 this year, Naaman was staying in a studio apartment in Hamilton, a suburb of Newcastle, when a fire broke out in her room.

Police allege that she had deliberately lit it, with the court hearing text messages seemed to indicate she had been attempting to hide a violent assault on a male.

“I lit a hotel room on fire to cover your arse,” Naaman allegedly said in a text message to an unknown person.

Magistrate Gareth Christofi told the court that documents suggested blood had been found in the hotel room and there was an indication a stabbing may have occurred.

Naaman was initially meant to face court over that matter on October 12, but in the wake of her arrest on the weekend that court date was brought forward after police made a detention application.

Her solicitor Upol Amin did not make an application for bail on behalf of his client.

Police allege that Naaman stole the teenager’s iPhone and tried to set her hijab on fire.

Magistrate Christofi approved the detention application with the court hearing Naaman’s criminal history included “matters of violence” including common assault, stealing from motor vehicle and destroying or damaging property.

She also served two years and nine months in jail for a conviction of robbery in company.

It is while she was on parole for that robbery conviction that police allege Naaman subjected the young girl to the horrific ordeal at the Parramatta hotel room and Greenacre unit in June.

NSW Police’s Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad formed Strike Force Tumbridge in July to investigate a report from the teenage girl that she had been detained and assaulted.

Police allege that a group including Naaman, two other women and a man, were involved in varying ways in the incident.

Naaman — who was allegedly known to the girl — was arrested over that alleged attack at Berkshire Park on Sunday morning and taken to Penrith Police Station.

She was charged with kidnap in company, supply prohibited drug, steal from person, intimidation and damage property by fire with intent to injure. She has not been charged with any sexual offences.

Police allege that in addition to kidnapping and detaining the girl, during the ordeal Naaman is accused of stealing the teenager’s Apple iPhone and trying to set her hijab on fire.

Naaman will next have to face court over the alleged Newcastle hotel room fire on October 12, while the brief of evidence in the alleged kidnapping ordeal is due to be served by December 1.