Two vulnerable schoolgirls were "easy prey" for a grooming gang who abused them "in the most humiliating and degrading way imaginable", a UK court has heard. The case, currently before Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, involves members of a Pakistani grooming gang, highlighting a pattern of exploitation that has long troubled parts of Greater Manchester.
Alleged ringleader Tahir Rashid, 54, is accused of abusing two teenagers between 2003 and 2006 and of raping a 12-year-old girl in the late 1980s. Rashid, of Rochdale, denies rape, indecent assault, and assault by penetration. His co-defendants, including Mohammed Saleem, Sucklane Shah, Itfaq Hussain, Arshad Mohammed, and Amjad Mahmood, have also pleaded not guilty to various charges.
Prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told jurors that the two girls, referred to in court as Girl A and Girl C, were "easy prey for men with an unhealthy interest in having sex with children". He said the pair led "troubled lives" and were "very vulnerable children with chaotic home lives". "Their school attendance was poor and they were often missing from home," he added.
The court heard that the girls were "passed around for sex - abused, degraded and then discarded," and that the defendants were aware of their tender ages. Mr Scamardella said the girls would gather in parks, woods, the moors, Rochdale market, and the snooker hall, where "these men preyed upon those vulnerabilities for their own perverted sexual gratification in the most humiliating and degrading way imaginable."
The prosecutor highlighted a common tactic in grooming cases: "They appear affectionate and kind to the children they intend to exploit, often providing alcohol, drugs or a place to stay and at the heart of that very deliberate manipulation tactic is an imbalance of power." He added that unprotected sex was routine, with the men lying to the children about it being forbidden for Muslim men to use protection.
Mr Scamardella said Rochdale and surrounding parts of Greater Manchester had been "blighted by this type of child sexual exploitation," reflecting a wider pattern in the UK, where Pakistani grooming gangs have been linked to repeated cases of child sexual exploitation over decades.
Rashid’s co-defendants, he said, participated in similar abuse, and Rashid himself flaunted wealth with luxury cars and diamond-encrusted rings. "Mr Rashid did not care that they were underage. It was what he liked," the prosecutor said.
This case is the latest in a series of high-profile trials in the UK that have brought attention to Pakistani grooming gangs, their systematic exploitation of vulnerable children, and the challenges authorities face in preventing such abuse.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
