Three men have been found guilty of sexually exploiting two vulnerable teenage girls in Manchester.
Their prosecution followed a lengthy investigation into a suspected network of abusers who were grooming children with alcohol and drugs before abusing them at “wild parties’ held in flats and houses across Manchester.
A jury at Manchester Crown Court heard how the girls, aged 14 and 15, were passed around and raped while they were overwhelmed by the effects of drink and drugs. The offences took place between 2009 and 2011.
Shamin Uddin, 26, was found guilty of two rapes, two counts of attempted rape and one of sexual activity with a child. His brother, Giash Uddin, 27, was convicted of sexual activity with a child. A third man, Robert Jackson, 23, was found guilty of rape. They will be sentenced in September.
Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for CPS North West, said the men had committed serious sexual offences against “vulnerable and impressionable young victims” who they initially flattered.
“They were groomed and plied with drugs and large amounts of alcohol and then manipulated so they felt obliged to repay their abusers in the form of sexual favours,” he said.
Mr Afzal added that the offences often took place when the girls were too intoxicated to consent to sex and that the men “used them for their own gratification and cruelly exploited them”.
One of the victims said that “meeting different Asian guys’ was what she and her friends “did for entertainment’ from the age of 13 onwards. She described how up to ten men may have be present at some of the “parties’.
The girls involved have been praised for their bravery in coming forward and the police have urged victims of sexual assault to come forward.
Mr Afzal stressed that this outcome “demonstrates the commitment of the CPS and Greater Manchester Police to supporting victims of child sexual abuse, and tackling offenders through the courts. It is a top priority for us.’
Farleys has a team of lawyers specialising in abuse claims and has experience in claiming compensation for victims. If you have been affected by this story and wish to speak to one of the team about making a compensation claim for abuse, then do not hesitate to contact us.
By Jonathan Bridge, Abuse Claim Lawyer