Two young girls, aged just 13, found themselves trapped in a nightmarish cycle of exploitation and abuse after a group of eight men, subjected the vulnerable teens to horrific acts of sexual violence.
The prosecutor, Rossano Scamardella, described how the girls were forced into sexual acts with multiple men on the same day, often in squalid and unsanitary conditions as he addressed the court in Manchester. Filthy flats and rancid mattresses became the backdrops for their repeated violations.
But the abuse didn’t stop there. The girls were also coerced into having sex in cars, alleyways, and abandoned warehouses – anywhere these men demanded. They were treated as mere objects, passed around for the gratification of their abusers, then callously discarded.
According to an AFP report, One of the alleged victims faced exploitation from even more men of Asian descent beyond those on trial. Scamardella said that these were children, robbed of their innocence and dignity.
The grooming gang issue has gained international attention, with Elon Musk’s recent incendiary attacks on the UK government for resisting calls for a national inquiry.
Over decades, men of predominantly South Asian origin in various English towns are suspected of sexually abusing thousands of mostly white girls from working-class families, many from troubled homes.
In this case, the prosecution argued that the defendants exploited the girls’ difficult home lives, luring them with promises of alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, shelter, and companionship. One defendant allegedly offered free underwear, money, alcohol, and food in exchange for regular sex with him and other Asian men from Rochdale.
The girls felt trapped, paralyzed by threats of blackmail and the fear of being labeled promiscuous, consumed by shame and embarrassment. The alleged offenses, spanning from 2001 to 2006, included rape, indecent assault, and indecency with a child. The defendants, aged 39 to 66, denied all charges.
One girl went missing countless times, prompting contact with Rochdale Child Social Services, but they viewed the situation as hopeless. It wasn’t until 2010, when an investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale began, that one of the girls was approached. Initially reluctant, she eventually contacted the police in 2015, setting the wheels of justice in motion.
Calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs have intensified, with proponents arguing it will shed light on institutional failings. Scamardella told the court that both girls were known to social services and other agencies, yet their exploitation by older Asian men was an open secret that went unreported and unaddressed.
