Woman alleging sex abuse by 50 men tells court she is not ‘in it for the money’

Martin Rhodes, of Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, is one of eight men on trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court accused of 80 sexual offences against the woman, Girl A, and a second complainant, Girl B, between 2002 and 2006.

The youngster, Girl A, was 12-years-old 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 that 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.

Giving evidence on Tuesday, 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.

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.”

Miss 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 also told a friend that what had happened to her was “so much worse” than Three Girls – the BBC drama about child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.

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

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:

- Martin Rhodes, 39, of Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool

- Insar Hussain, 36, of Bishop Street, Rochdale

- Ikhlaq Yousef, 38, of Stanley Street, Rochdale

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

- 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.