Rochdale grooming: Alleged sex abuse victim not after money, trial hears

Eight men are currently on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester

A woman who alleges she was sexually abused by 50 men has told a jury she was "not in it for the money".

The girl is one of two alleged victims of a group of eight men accused of a series of sexual offences in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, between 2002 and 2006.

Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard she received £22,000 and £27,000 for two child sexual exploitation compensation claims.

The men deny a total of 80 offences.

The youngster, Girl A, was aged 12 when the alleged abuse first started, when she and Girl B, aged 13, were allegedly plied with drink and drugs then sexually abused for four years by men in the town, the court has heard.

It is alleged both would often be picked up from outside their schools, still in their uniforms, and sexually assaulted against a school wall, in cars, in public parks, on Saddleworth Moor and in flats and houses in Rochdale.

On Tuesday, jurors were told that Girl A was a victim of child sexual exploitation who had been raped by two other men in Rochdale.

Both men had pleaded guilty and Child A went on to receive criminal injuries compensation totalling £27,000 in 2018, the court was told.

Jurors heard she had gone on to make a further claim to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) in relation to 50 men she claimed had similarly offended against her.

Girl A confirmed she had received a payment offer of £22,000 for that claim but felt she should get more so asked for a review.

'Traumatised'

She told the court: "It didn't sit right. 30, 40K, I would be happy."

Cross-examining, Claire Wade QC, representing Mohammed Ghani - one of the eight defendants - said: "The more the perpetrators, on your account, then the more compensation you would be entitled to?"

Girl A replied: "No, I would not agree with that."

She went on: "It's not all about money at all. It's about people who have done me wrong in life. That's why I'm here.

"If it makes my life a little good - happy days.

"I'm traumatised in my own skin. I can't go into Rochdale any more, I have had to move house.

"You seem to be think I'm in it for the money. I'm in it because these men are traumatising me."

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Ms Wade pointed out to her that in one of her applications to CICA she had failed to disclose two convictions for criminal damage and common assault, together with a reprimand for common assault when she was aged 15.

The barrister said: "It was a lie on a form that you were using to seek compensation."

Girl A said: "But I didn't know I lied. I didn't know I got charged for all of these offences."

She admitted she had planned to write a book about her experiences when "all this is over" and had wanted to be interviewed on television programmes Loose Women, This Morning and Good Morning Britain.

Girl A told the court she no longer wanted to appear on television and denied seeking an agent for a book deal.

Mr Ghani, 38, of Bamford Way, Rochdale, denies various sexual offences including rape and sexual activity with a child.

Also denying various sexual offences are co-defendants:

• Insar Hussain, 36, of Bishop Street, Rochdale

• Ikhlaq Yousef, 38, of Stanley Street, Rochdale

• Jahn Shahid Ghani, 50, of Whitworth Road, Rochdale

• Martin Rhodes, 39, of Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool

• Ali Razza Hussain Kasmi, 36, of Brotherod Hall Road, Rochdale

• Aftar Khan, 34, of Sparth Bottoms Road, Rochdale

• Mohammed Iqbal, 67, of Gainsborough Drive, Rochdale

The trial continues.