getting sexually abused by male gang members is normal and an essential part of being accepted into notorious groups for girls as young as 12.

 In a shocking revelation, a reformed female gangster said that getting sexually abused by male gang members is normal and an essential part of being accepted into notorious groups for girls as young as 12.

The 20-year-old who was part of a gang of 80 members in Peckham, south London, told Daily Mail that it is all about 'craving for attention'.

According to an estimate by Met Police, there are about 250 criminal gangs that are active in London and these various notorious groups are responsible for one in seven reported rapes, added the daily.

Research groups also reveal that rape is also used as a tool of punishment for girl gang members. Even after being sexually abused, the girls, sometimes as young as 16, continue to maintain relationship with their abusers because of their low self esteem and because they believe that they cannot do better.

Police officers and charity groups officers are warning girls as young as 12 about the dangers of associating with male gangs, said the daily.