I need advice, re historic events *warning sensitive*

[AlaskanSnow]

I hope someone can give me a bit of guidance, or just tell me what can happen.

A women in her mid 30's has accused 8 men of having sex with her whilst she was under 16. (Not all at once, all very separate incidents). These men would have been late teenagers, poss 20 at the time.
The 8 men have all been arrested, questioned and released on bail until Spring 2016.
As far as I am aware, all have denied everything or said "no comment" under the advice of solicitors.

So, what happens now?
I am unaware if any hard evidence available so is it just a case of "She said He said"?

As in any case the police will present the evidence they have to the CPS and the CPS will decide what happens next. Presumably the police are investigating so may well turn up additional evidence and witness accounts.

OK, with witness accounts, would they be people that she may have spoken to about the acts at the time that would verify what she says?
I don't think there would have been any eye witnesses.
Obviously we are talking about events of 20ish years ago, so conversations wouldn't be remembered exactly, only roughly.
What about rumours? As in someone told someone else that they'd been told x happened.
Is that taken into account?

I don't think third hand accounts hold much credibility as evidence but the CPS will weigh everything up. Info here

I've had a read through that, thank you.

I'm sorry, I'm not completely understanding what you meant about 3rd hand - would that be the rumours?
Whereas people she may have confided in would be classed as second hand?

What I mean is that there is likely to be much more weight put on if a person can say 'x said to me that such and such a thing had happened to them the previous day and her reaction was.....I can remember this date and time because of ......' The rumours you describe would be more like a person saying ' everybody was saying that such and such thing was happening to x' but without anything definite to fix when that happened or how it was known to have happened. That's not going to help prove a case 'beyond reasonable doubt'

I am guessing that somebody you are close too is concerned in this case. I do wish you well, it must be a very difficult time for you.

I see. Yes that makes sense.

Thank you.

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I thought it would be easier than re-typing the information.

Initially the men were released on Bail until early March. Just before the date they received letters it had been postponed to this week.
Letters have now been received saying it has been postponed again, but without a date being given for the next appointment.

I feel like I need to know - does this indicate that a prosecution would be more likely? Surely if there were insufficient evidence they would know that by now?