Accused are sick people, states witness

I stole cash from men for revenge, Rochdale sex ring jury told

John Scheerhout

15 March, 2012

A teenager has told a child-sex grooming trial she stole money from the men who allegedly abused her because she wanted revenge.

The girl spoke out at the end of cross examination on behalf of Abdul Aziz, 41, who she had accused of raping her twice in the back of his taxi.

She had previously told the jury at Liverpool Crown Court – where Mr Aziz and 10 other [Muslim] men from Rochdale and Oldham are on trial – that she stole hundreds of pounds from a number of jackets the morning after she is alleged to have been raped at a flat in Rochdale.

The girl admitted she went to the Trafford Centre on a spending spree with the money. Asked by Ahmed Nadim, defending Mr Aziz, whether the money was to fund her ‘lifestyle’, the girl answered: "I don’t care for money. I took their money because I wanted revenge.

"I could not go to the police because I felt dirty. I was vulnerable. At the end of the day, I wanted revenge one way or another and the only way I could do something was to take their money."

Pressed further by Mr Nadim, the girl broke down as she said: "You are sitting there thinking you know everything and you don’t. I took something from them. They took something from me."

Asked why she continued to associate with men she had described as ‘sick people’, she said: "I don’t know. I was vulnerable. I was a teenager who was vulnerable. I didn’t really care about my life at the time so going out, getting drunk and getting drugs for free – that was all I really cared about."

Asked if she wanted sex for free as well, she responded: "If I wanted sex, I wouldn’t go to old, smelly, dirty men that are all in the courtroom now.

"If I wanted sex, I would go to someone who respects me and liked me."

Later, the girl told the court she was pretending ‘everything was normal’ in a series of apparently friendly text messages between her and another defendant, Mohammed Sajid, 35, who is accused of raping her while she slept.

Kabeer Hassan, 24, Abdul Aziz, 41, Abdul Rauf, 43, Mohammed Sajid, 35, Adil Khan, 42, Abdul Qayyum, 43, of Ramsay Street, Rochdale, Mohammed Amin, 44, Qamar Shahzad, 29, Liaquat Shah, 41, and Hamid Safi, 22, are charged with conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16.

They have all pleaded not guilty along with a 59-year-old man who cannot be named for legal reasons.

He also denies two counts of rape, aiding and abetting a rape, one count of sexual assault and an allegation of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation.

Mr Hassan, of Lacrosse Avenue, Oldham, and Mr Shahzad, of Tweedale Street, Rochdale, also deny rape.

Mr Aziz, of Armstrong Hurst Close, Rochdale, denies two counts of rape and one allegation of trafficking for sexual exploitation. Mr Khan, of Oswald Street, and Mr Rauf, of Darley Road, both in Rochdale, have also pleaded not guilty to trafficking for sexual exploitation.

Mr Sajid, of Jepheys Street, Rochdale, denies trafficking, two counts of rape and one allegation of sexual activity with a child.

Mr Amin, of Falinge Road, Rochdale, denies sexual assault. Mr Shah and Mr Safi, both of Kensington Street, Rochdale, each denied two counts of rape and Mr Safi has also pleaded not guilty to trafficking.

Proceeding.

Manchester Evening News