Child labelled 'prostitute' in council file - trial

The men are standing trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court

A girl allegedly abused by a group of men was labelled a prostitute from the age of 10 by social services, a court has heard.

The alleged victim, referred to in court as Girl B and now in her 30s, said she had read in her Rochdale social services file that she had been picked up for loitering and prostitution.

Eight men are on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester accused of multiple sexual offences involving Girl B and Girl A, including rape, indecent assault and indecency with a child between 2001 and 2006.

The men deny the charges.

The woman said she was repeatedly sexually abused from the age of 13, that "everybody knew what was going on", and the description of her as a prostitute was "vile".

She rejected suggestions by lawyers for the accused that she was claiming she was abused to get compensation.

She said it was not about money, but that she wanted Rochdale 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."

The witness told a trial into alleged sexual abuse by eight men in Rochdale that she was regarded as a "prostitute" rather than a 13-year-old child by the gang.

Rossano Scamardella KC, prosecuting, said: "It was suggested to you that when you were 13 you looked a lot older?"

The witness was given a photo of herself at that age to look at, and said: "I look like a little kid."

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 a shop in Rochdale owned by another man - Mushtaq Ahmed.

She said she was repeatedly raped on a bare mattress in the basement under the shop by by both the stall-holder Zahid and shop owner, Ahmed,

Mr Scamardella said: "Did the two of them take turns to do that to you?"

Girl B said: "Yes, in the same night. I was closing my eyes and praying for it to be over."

She said that on other occasions Ahmed would drive her and Zahid to a house in Chadderton near Rochdale.

There would be the three of them and other men there. They spoke a language she did not understand, she said.

She said another man, Kasir Bashir, would also sexually abuse her.

"I would go upstairs and wait in the bedroom," the witness said.

Mr Scamardella said: "Did you know what was about to happen? This was when you were 13?"

"Yes," the witness replied. "I would get undressed and lie on the bed."

Mr Scamardella continued: "What would they do to you?"

"Rape me," the witness said.

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 has been adjourned until 24 February.