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Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Trial hears girl, 13, was 'sex slave' to gang
A woman allegedly used as a "sex slave" by a group of Asian men when she was a teenager has told a jury "everybody knew what was going on". The witness, known as Girl A, told a trial into alleged sexual abuse by an eight-strong gang in Rochdale that she was regarded as a "prostitute" rather than a 13-year-old child. The eight men deny multiple sexual offences involving two underage girls, including rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child between 2001 and 2006. Another alleged victim, Girl B, told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that police and social workers knew what was going on but "weren't concerned enough to do anything about it". Girl B said the abuse began when she was living in a children's home and had started to spend time at Rochdale market, where Mohammed Zahid, then in his 40s, owned a stall. She said that she was taken weekly to the basement of a shop in Rochdale, Maria Fashions, owned by another man, Mushtaq Ahmed. In the basement room below the shop, there was a bare mattress on which she would have sex with market stallholder Zahid, the shop owner Ahmed and a third man, Kasir Bashir, the jury was told. Girl B said she had told the police and social services about what was going on. "They said I was a prostitute. I was prostituting myself," she told the court. "I don't remember them being concerned enough to do anything about it. "I remember knowing that they knew what was going on. "It always happened, it was nothing new to me. "I assumed they all knew. The police had picked me up. It all just seemed to me everybody knew what was going on." Earlier, prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told jurors both girls were sexually abused because their troubled backgrounds made them susceptible. "They were children passed around for sex, abused, degraded and then discarded," Mr Scamardella said, "They became sex slaves." Girl B said the abuse ended after she was fostered with a woman who was "like a mum" and lived away from Rochdale. She said she tracked Bashir down on Facebook years later, took a screen shot of his photo and contacted police. She also spotted her second alleged abuser, Ahmed, selling fruit and vegetables out of a van near a school. She said she took a photo of the registration plate and gave it to the police. When asked why she had not reported the sexual abuse before she first contacted police in May, 2021, Girl B said there was "no reason" for her to think it was wrong because "nobody did anything about it" when she was a child. She said: "I felt like that was my purpose. I think it had happened that much. "I never saw it as anything unnatural. I just felt like that was what I was there for. "I normalised it so much in my own head. "From the way I see things as a child to now, are two different things." Mohammed Zahid, Kashir Bashir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Roheez Khan, Mohammed Shahzad, Nisar Hussain, Naheem Akram and Arfhan Khan deny all the allegations against them. The trial continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
BBC News
12-02-2025
- BBC News
Rochdale: Trial hears girl, 13, was 'sex slave' to gang
A woman allegedly used as a "sex slave" by a group of Asian men when she was a teenager has told a jury "everybody knew what was going on".The witness, known as Girl A, told a trial into alleged sexual abuse by an eight-strong gang in Rochdale that she was regarded as a "prostitute" rather than a 13-year-old child. The eight men deny multiple sexual offences involving two underage girls, including rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child between 2001 and alleged victim, Girl B, told Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that police and social workers knew what was going on but "weren't concerned enough to do anything about it". Children's home Girl B said the abuse began when she was living in a children's home and had started to spend time at Rochdale market, where Mohammed Zahid, then in his 40s, owned a said that she was taken weekly to the basement of a shop in Rochdale, Maria Fashions, owned by another man, Mushtaq the basement room below the shop, there was a bare mattress on which she would have sex with market stallholder Zahid, the shop owner Ahmed and a third man, Kasir Bashir, the jury was told. Girl B said she had told the police and social services about what was going on."They said I was a prostitute. I was prostituting myself," she told the court."I don't remember them being concerned enough to do anything about it."I remember knowing that they knew what was going on."It always happened, it was nothing new to me."I assumed they all knew. The police had picked me up. It all just seemed to me everybody knew what was going on." Earlier, prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told jurors both girls were sexually abused because their troubled backgrounds made them susceptible."They were children passed around for sex, abused, degraded and then discarded," Mr Scamardella said,"They became sex slaves."Girl B said the abuse ended after she was fostered with a woman who was "like a mum" and lived away from Rochdale. She said she tracked Bashir down on Facebook years later, took a screen shot of his photo and contacted also spotted her second alleged abuser, Ahmed, selling fruit and vegetables out of a van near a school. She said she took a photo of the registration plate and gave it to the asked why she had not reported the sexual abuse before she first contacted police in May, 2021, Girl B said there was "no reason" for her to think it was wrong because "nobody did anything about it" when she was a said: "I felt like that was my purpose. I think it had happened that much."I never saw it as anything unnatural. I just felt like that was what I was there for."I normalised it so much in my own head."From the way I see things as a child to now, are two different things."Mohammed Zahid, Kashir Bashir, Mushtaq Ahmed, Roheez Khan, Mohammed Shahzad, Nisar Hussain, Naheem Akram and Arfhan Khan deny all the allegations against trial continues. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
The Independent
12-02-2025
- The Independent
Everybody knew what was going on, Rochdale grooming gang trial hears
A woman allegedly turned into a teenage 'sex slave' by a Rochdale grooming gang of Asian men told a jury 'everybody knew what was going on'. And the witness said she was regarded as a 'prostitute' rather than a 13-year-old child when the alleged sexual abuse began, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard. 'It always happened, it was nothing new to me,' she told the jury in her second day in the witness box. 'I assumed they all knew. The police had picked me up. It all just seemed to me everybody knew what was going on.' The woman, identified only as girl B and another teenager, girl A, became 'sex slaves' to the gang of Asian men who preyed upon the vulnerable youngsters, the jury was told. Neither complainant can be identified for legal reasons to protect their anonymity. Girl B said when the abuse began she was living in a children's home and started to hang around Rochdale market, where Mohammed Zahid, then in his 40s, owned a stall. Each week she was taken to the basement of a shop in Rochdale, Maria Fashions, owned by another man – Mushtaq Ahmed. In the basement room below the shop, there was a bare mattress where she would have sex with market-stall holder Zahid, the shop owner Ahmed and a third man, Kasir Bashir. Lisa Wilding KC, defending Zahid, asked girl B about social workers at the time raising concerns that she may have been having sex with Asian men. Girl B said: 'They said I was a prostitute. I was prostituting myself.' Ms Wilding said: 'Which must have been very upsetting. And a language that was used, then.' 'Vile,' replied the witness. 'I don't remember them being concerned enough to do anything about it. 'I remember knowing that they knew what was going on. 'It always happened, it was nothing new to me. I assumed they all knew. The police had picked me up. It all just seemed to me everybody knew what was going on. Girl B 'I assumed they all knew. The police had picked me up. It all just seemed to me everybody knew what was going on.' Earlier, prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told jurors both girls were sexually abused because their troubled backgrounds made them susceptible. 'They were children passed around for sex, abused, degraded and then discarded,' Mr Scamardella said, 'They became sex slaves.' Girl B was also asked why she had not reported the sexual abuse before she first contacted police in May, 2021. She said: 'I felt like that was my purpose. I think it had happened that much. 'I never saw it as anything unnatural. I just felt like that was what I was there for. 'I normalised it so much in my own head. 'From the way I see things as a child to now, are two different things. 'There was no reason for me to think it was wrong when nobody did anything about it as a child.' Eight men, either taxis drivers or connected to Rochdale market, are on trial and all deny multiple sexual offences including rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child between 2001 and 2006. They are: Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester; Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley Road, Rochdale; Mohammed Shazad, 43, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale; Nisar Hussain, 43, of Newfield Close, Rochdale; Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale; Arfan Khan, 40, of Grouse Street, Rochdale; Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, of Corona Avenue, Oldham; and Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham. The trial continues.
