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BBC News
07-05-2025
- BBC News
Previous Asian grooming gangs in Rochdale 'not relevant'
Previous Asian grooming gangs 'not relevant' - trial 12 minutes ago Share Save Share Save PA Media Seven men are on trial accused of historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale The crimes of "Asian grooming gangs" in Rochdale were not relevant to the cases of seven men on trial accused of historical child sexual exploitation in the town, jurors have been told. The defendants have denied various sexual offences alleged to have been committed against two teenage girls between 2001 and 2006. Lisa Wilding KC, representing Mohammed Zahid - one of the accused - told the jury at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court that they must approach the case "with a surgeon's precision". She said: "You must decide this case against each defendant on the evidence you have heard in this courtroom - not on anything outside, not on anything that has gone on before." In her closing speech, she said: "You have been told by the prosecution of the unhappy fate of Rochdale and that its name is now not synonymous with the great achievements of the Industrial Revolution but with the widespread publicity that has arisen from the prosecution of men, of what has become known as Asian grooming gangs. "It is a fact that others have been convicted of criminal activity, more widely arising from criminal activity in Rochdale." Other men had also been convicted of crimes against one of the two complainants, Girl A, she said in her closing speech. Ms Wilding said: "But it's very important you must approach this case with a surgeon's precision. The fact that other men have committed crimes is not relevant to your determination as to whether these men have committed crimes. "You must decide this case against each defendant on the evidence you have heard in this courtroom - not on anything outside, not on anything that has gone on before." 'Vulnerable young girls' The barrister told jurors they "may easily conclude" Girl A and Girl B were "vulnerable young girls" who had told them from the witness box they had been abused by others - "many others" in the case of Girl A and earlier when she was "really young" in the case of Girl B. Ms Wilding said: "It is not enough that [Girl A] and [Girl B] were vulnerable young women. That alone does not make any defendant guilty." Former market trader Mr Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, is alleged to have raped both girls. Ms Wilding said he denied any sexual activity with either of the complainants. He denied ever meeting Girl B, or knowingly doing so, and denied everything she alleged - whether it was sex in the basement of a clothing shop, in a flat, in a house or elsewhere. Ms Wilding said Mr Zahid accepted he knew Girl A, but said sexual activity did not take place between them. The other defendants on trial are Naheem Akram, 48, of Manley, Road, Rochdale; Mohammed Shahzad, 44, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale; Nisar Hussain, 41, of Newfield Close, Rochdale; Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale; Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, of Corona Avenue, Oldham; and Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham. Earlier, prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told the jury the testimony of the complainants was "compelling". He said: "They are telling the truth, and in telling the truth they had to have courage to come to court and give evidence, which they did for days on end. "Their bravery shown giving evidence puts their abusers to shame. "Both had their lives destroyed by these men and others like them." Mr Scamardella said the abuse had taken place "under the noses of social workers and others who should have done far more to protect them".
Sky News
14-02-2025
- Sky News
Rochdale grooming trial hears girl, 10, labelled 'prostitute' by social services
A girl allegedly used as a "sex slave" by a grooming gang was labelled a "prostitute" from age 10 by social services, a court has heard. The victim, now in her 30s, said she had read the "vile" description in a Rochdale social services file. She told the court it described her as "loitering and prostituting from the age of 10". Known only as girl B, she said she had been repeatedly sexually abused from age 13 and "everybody knew what was going on". She was giving evidence in the case of eight Asian men accused of rape and other sexual offences between 2001 and 2006. She denied claims she was lying in order to get compensation, telling Minshull Street Crown Court she wanted social services to "take responsibility". "They were the ones supposed to care for me and look after me and a lot of bad things happened," she said. "I have never been able to lead my life at all. I struggled to enjoy anything, to do anything. Depression, anxiety to the point I didn't want to be here." Prosecutors showed girl B a photo of herself at 13 and she denied she looked much older. "I look like a little kid," she told the court. She said the abuse began when she was in a children's home and started to hang around Rochdale market, where one of the defendants, Mohammed Zahid, had a stall. She said each week she was taken to a shop by another man, Mushtaq Ahmed, where he and Zahid repeatedly raped her on a dirty mattress in the basement. On other occasions, she told the court, the men drove her to a house in nearby Chadderton where other men would join in the abuse. "I would go upstairs and wait in the bedroom," the witness said. Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella asked her: "Did you know what was about to happen? This was when you were 13?" "Yes," she replied. "I would get undressed and lie on the bed." "What would they do to you?" asked Mr Scamardella. "Rape me," she said. The eight defendants were all either taxi drivers in Rochdale or connected to the market. They all deny multiple charges including rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child. 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 was adjourned until 24 February.
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.
