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Sunday 6 May 2012

Jury Retires in trial of 11 Muslim men accused of grooming young British girls for sex



Jury Retires in trial of 11 Muslim men accused of grooming young British girls for sex

Some of the victims in Rochdale were forced to have sex with several men in a day, several times a week, trial heard
Abdul Rauf, Kabeer Hassan and Liaquat Shah
Abdul Rauf, Kabeer Hassan and Liaquat Shah, three of the 11 men on trial.
A jury has retired to consider its verdicts in the trial of 11 men accused of being part of a child exploitation ring that allegedly groomed underage girls for sex by plying them with alcohol and drugs.
Liverpool crown court heard that five teenagers were "shared" by the defendants, with some forced to have sex with "several men in a day, several times a week".
The men allegedly gave the victims, who were as young as 13, junk food, alcohol and drugs so they could "pass them around" and use them for sex, the nine-week trial heard.
The alleged offences are said to have taken place in and around Rochdale, Greater Manchester, in 2008 and 2009 at times when the girls were so incapacitated by drugs or drink that they were incapable of having any control over whether or with whom they had sex.
One 13-year-old girl became pregnant by one of the defendants, Adil Khan, and had a termination, the court was told. Despite DNA proof that he was the father, he denied knowing the girl.
Another teenager recalled being raped by two men while she was "so drunk she was vomiting over the side of the bed".
The court heard that one defendant allegedly told a 15-year-old girl from whom he wanted sex: "It's part of the deal because I bought you vodka, you have to give me something."
At the opening of the trial, Rachel Smith, prosecuting, told the jury: "Some of you may find what you are about to hear distressing. The events and circumstances described by the girls are at best saddening and at worst shocking in places. No child should be exploited as these girls say they were."
Kabeer Hassan, 25, Abdul Aziz, 41, Abdul Rauf, 43, Mohammed Sajid, 35, Adil Khan, 42, Abdul Qayyum, 43, Mohammed Amin, 44, Qamar Shahzad, 29, Liaquat Shah, 41, Hamid Safi, 22, and a 59-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons all deny conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16.
The 59-year-old also denies two rapes, aiding and abetting a rape, sexual assault and trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation. The other defendants, excluding Qayyum, are variously accused of rape, trafficking, sexual assault and sexual activity with a child, and deny all charges. The men are all from the Rochdale and Oldham areas.
The girls would often spend their days "unsupervised by responsible adults", were not in school regularly and spent time around kebab shops late at night befriending staff who worked there, the court heard.
Two of the men worked in the takeaways Tasty Bites and Balti House, both in Heywood, which are now under new management. Four others were taxi drivers, one was a student and four were unemployed.