Girls 'lied' about rape and abuse at hands of older Asian men for 'quick easy money', court told

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Teenage girls who allege they were raped and sexually abused by older Asian men in Rochdale were ‘lying’ for ‘quick easy money’, some of the accused told police.

Eight men are standing trial accused of a series of sexual offences, allegedly committed against two girls in the town between 2001 and 2006.

The alleged victims, who are entitled to anonymity, are being identified as Girl A and Girl B. Minshull Street Crown Court has been told the accused were mainly either taxi drivers or market stall traders in the town.

The girls were ‘passed around’ for sex before being ‘discarded’, it is alleged. Mohammed Zahid, 64; Kasir Bashir, 50; Mushtaq Ahmed, 66; Roheez Khan, 39; Mohammed Shahzad, 43; Nisar Hussain, 43; Naheem Akram, 48; and Arfan Khan, 40, deny all the charges they face.