A jury has heard allegations that three vulnerable girls were groomed, manipulated and subjected to years of sexual abuse by a group of men in Rochdale. Six men are standing trial at Minshull Street Crown Court, where prosecutors allege the girls were “passed around for sex” and treated in “the most humiliating and degrading way imaginable”. The allegations span from the late 1980s through to the mid-2000s. Tahir Rashid, Mohammed Saleem, Sucklane Shah, Amjad Mahmood, Iftaq Hussain and Arshad Mohammed deny the charges against them. The three complainants are referred to as Girl A, Girl B and Girl C and cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Prosecutors allege girls were targeted from age 12
The court heard Girl C was 12 when she moved to Rochdale in the late 1980s and encountered Rashid, who prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC described as the “undoubted ringleader”. Rashid, who was 19 at the time, is alleged to have given the child gifts and money before taking her to flats and houses where prosecutors say he raped and sexually assaulted her. The prosecution alleges he was physically rough with the girl and held her down during some of the attacks. Jurors heard that the alleged abuse of Girls A and B also began when they were around 12 or 13. Both were described as vulnerable children who experienced chaotic home lives and poor school attendance. Scamardella told the jury they were “easy prey for men with an unhealthy interest in having sex with children”.
‘Abused, degraded and discarded’
Prosecutors allege the defendants drove the girls between different locations and provided them with alcohol, cigarettes and places to stay while creating a false sense of belonging. The court heard allegations that the children were passed between different men and, on occasions, sexually assaulted by multiple men during the same day. Some of the alleged offences are said to have taken place in flats, cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. Girl A told police that she would sometimes be speaking to one man on the telephone while other men waited on hold. The prosecution said the girls were “abused, degraded and discarded” and argued that any apparent agreement to sexual activity should not be regarded as genuine consent.
Six men deny charges
Rashid faces 12 counts of rape as well as allegations of indecent assault and assault by penetration relating to the three complainants. Saleem faces eight counts of rape against Girl A, while Shah faces two counts of rape against her. Arshad Mohammed faces four counts of rape and assault by penetration involving Girls A and B, while Hussain faces three counts of rape against Girl A. Mahmood faces 11 counts including rape, indecency with a child, assault by penetration and indecent assault involving Girls A and B. The jury has been told Mahmood is not present in the dock and is receiving treatment abroad for what was described in court as a “complex psychiatric illness”. Jurors have been directed to determine whether he committed the alleged acts despite his being medically unfit to participate in the proceedings. All six defendants deny the allegations against them. The trial continues.
Originally published by UKNIP.
