Seven men appear in court ahead of Rochdale grooming trial

Seven men have appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester ahead of their trial on grooming sex offences in Rochdale. The defendants were pictured ahead of the first day of trial, estimated to last up to 12 weeks.

However, Tuesday’s hearing dealt largely with legal and administrative matters, PA reports, with the trial not expected to get underway with a jury present until next week.

The charges the seven men are facing are understood to relate to offences involving three teenage girls in Rochdale between 2000 and 2006. Each defendant denies the various sexual offences against the complainants.

The men are: Naheem Akram, 48, of Rochdale; Mohammed Shazad, 43, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale; Nisar Hussain, 43, of Newfield Close, Rochdale; Mohammed Zahid, 64, of Station Road, Crumpsall, Manchester; Roheez Khan, 39, of Athole Street, Rochdale; Arfan Khan, 40, of Grouse Street, Rochdale; and Mustaq Ahmed, 66, of Corona Avenue, Oldham.

An eighth defendant, Kasir Bashir, 50, of Napier Street East, Oldham, did not appear in court.

There have been several investigations into grooming gangs in various parts of England. 

Labour minister Jess Phillips blocked calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs as the prime minister warned that launching a further inquiry could delay action on tackling child sexual abuse.

On Wednesday, the Commons rejected a Conservative amendment to the government’s Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which called for another national inquiry.