A jury has been told that two girls were 'passed around for sex' between 'predatory' men in Rochdale and sexually abused in 'the most humiliating and degrading way imaginable.' Prosecutors allege the girls were 'groomed', 'manipulated' and became 'sex slaves', often being forced to have sex 'with multiple men on the same day, in filthy flats and houses'.
Six men have gone on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court charged with historic sexual offences allegedly committed against three girls in the town. The alleged abuse of one girl began in the late 1980s, with the alleged 'exploitation' of the two others beginning in the mid-2000s.
Tahir Rashid, 55; Mohammed Saleem, 47; Sucklane Shah, 47; Amjad Mahmood, 54; Iftaq Hussain, 46; and Arshad Mohammed, 56, deny all the charges they face.
Alleged ringleader and vulnerable victims
Mr Mahmood is not present in the dock. The court has been told he is receiving treatment in a foreign hospital for a 'complex psychiatric illness' and 'through no fault of his own is unfit to stand trial.' Jurors have been asked to decide whether he committed the alleged acts as charged and whether he did so 'in circumstances where the complainant didn't consent.'
The alleged victims are known as Girl A, Girl B and Girl C for legal reasons. Girl C was allegedly abused by Mr Rashid, described by prosecutors as the 'undoubted ringleader in this group', after moving to Rochdale in the late 1980s when she was 12. Mr Rashid, also known as 'Taz', was 19 years old at the time and 'very well built', the court was told.
Prosecution barrister Rossano Scamardella KC began his opening of the case to the jury on Thursday (August 27). He said Mr Rashid began 'buying her presents and even gave her money.'
“This was not generosity from the goodness of his heart; he wanted to have sex with her, which he did on five separate occasions,” he said. He told the jury Mr Rashid 'took her to various flats and houses and forced himself on her', adding that he was 'rough with her' and 'often held her down'.
Abuse details and alleged lack of consent
Girl A and Girl B were aged 12 or 13 when their 'appalling' abuse by Mr Rashid and 'others who sit with him in the dock' began, according to Mr Scamardella. “They were very vulnerable children with chaotic home lives, and they were easy prey for men with an unhealthy interest in having sex with children,” he said. “They had deeply troubled home lives and were known to the authorities. Their school attendance was poor, and they were often missing from home.”
He said it was 'no coincidence' that they were 'targeted' in order 'to be groomed, manipulated and sexually abused.' They were 'driven around by these men, picked up and dropped off at various flats and houses desperate for some stability and a sense of belonging.'
“These men preyed upon those vulnerabilities for their own perverted sexual gratification, in the most humiliating and degrading way imaginable,” he continued. “It began by making the girls feel like grown-ups - given alcohol, cigarettes, places to stay, and people to be with.”
He said that 'over time it is perhaps easy to see how they became beholden to men who, perhaps for the first time in their lives, treated them properly'. However, he added, that was to 'quickly change and drastically so.' They were often forced to have sex 'with multiple men on the same day in filthy flats and houses', whilst on other occasions 'they would be required to have sex in cars, car parks, alleyways or disused warehouses.'
They were 'expected to have sex with these men and others, whenever and wherever the men wanted' and were 'passed around for sex, abused, degraded, and then discarded', Mr Scamardella told the jury.
Mr Scamardella said unprotected sex was 'routine' and the girls were 'lied to about it being forbidden for Muslim men to use protection'. The defendants were 'only too aware of their tender ages and the difficulties they were experiencing with day-to-day life' he added. He said both girls would be expected to 'answer calls from these men at all times of the day and night'. Girl A told police she would 'often be on the phone to one man whilst more than one other would be on-hold', the court was told.
“They became sex slaves,” said Mr Scamardella. Adding: “Agreeing to have sex with a man who has manipulated you, coerced you, given you drugs and drink, or money, all in exchange for sex in a disused warehouse, is no proper consent. It is no consent at all.”
Charges and trial continues
Mr Rashid, of Hudsons Walk, Rochdale, denies 12 counts of rape; three counts of indecent assault; and one count of assault by penetration. The charges include allegations against all three complainants.
Mr Saleem, of Bradley Smithy Close, Rochdale, denies eight counts of rape allegedly committed against Girl A. Mr Shah, of Crawford Street, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape allegedly committed against Girl A. Mr Mohammed, of Merefield Street, Rochdale, denies four counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration. The charges include allegations against Girl A and Girl B.
Mr Hussain, of Hey Street, Rochdale, denies three counts of rape allegedly committed against Girl A. Mr Mahmood, of Channing Street, Rochdale, denies 11 counts of rape, two counts of indecency with a child, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of indecent assault. The charges include allegations against Girl A and Girl B.
The trial, expected to last around three months, continues.
