Rochdale Gang Trial: Allegations of Child Exploitation Surface

In a trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester, two women, referred to as Girl A and Girl B, testified about being sexually abused by a group of eight men in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006. Girl B, now in her 30s, revealed that social services labeled her a prostitute from the age of 10, despite being a minor and living in a children's home. She described being repeatedly raped by market stallholder Mohammed Zahid and shop owner Mushtaq Ahmed in a basement, and claimed that both police and social workers were aware of the abuse yet did nothing to intervene. Prosecutors argued that the girls' troubled backgrounds made them vulnerable to exploitation. Girl B emphasized that her intent was not financial compensation but accountability from Rochdale social services. The trial highlights systemic failures in protecting vulnerable children from abuse, with testimonies indicating widespread knowledge of the situation among authorities.