Ten men go on trial accused of preying on two vulnerable girls in care

From the Bradford Telegraph and Argus So far only the local paper and regional Leeds and West Yorkshire BBC have reported the opening of the trial. It seems like abuse on an industrial scale of our little girls is now a mere local interest item. 

Opening the prosecution case as the trial got underway today (yesterday January 8th, at Crown Court Bradford) , Kama Melly QC told the court that the girls were used for the “sexual fulfilment” of the men in the dock, who had engaged in “cynical and manipulative behaviour”.

The abuse first began some 10 years ago, when the girls were both aged 14, it is alleged.

She said some of the defendants were forceful, threatening and violent, while others used alcohol and drugs.

Basharat Khaliq, 38, of Bradford, denies five counts of rape and one count of assault by penetration.

Saeed Akhtar, 55, of Bradford, denies two counts of causing/inciting child prostitution and one of rape.

Yasar Majid, 37, of Milton Keynes, denies one count of rape.

Naveed Akhtar, 43, of Bradford, denies three counts of rape.

Parvaze Ahmed, 36, of Bradford, denies three counts of rape.

Izar Hussain, 32, of Bradford, denies three counts of rape and one of attempted rape.

Zeeshan Ali, 32, of Bradford, denies a charge of sexual assault.

Kieran Harris, 28, of Dewsbury, denies two counts of rape.

Fahim Iqbal, 27, of no fixed abode, denies a charge of aiding and abetting rape and Mohammed Usman, 31, of Bradford, denies two charges of rape.

Five of the men; left to right; Saieed Ahtar, Izar Hussain, Naveed Akhtar,  Zeeshan Ali,  Parvaze Ahmed

The court heard that the alleged offending came to light during a separate investigation into child sexual exploitation (CSE) in Keighley in 2012. While she couldn’t give them any information directly relevant, she shared her own experience of what she had endured . . . 

Looking at the girls’ time in care, Ms Melly said concerns were raised by a care home worker about Basharat Khaliq, but he was told he could not describe him in the records as an “abuser”.

The girls, both without stable and secure family relationships, ran away from the home one night and walked into Bradford.

This was when they allegedly first met Khaliq, who took them to a petrol station and bought them a bottle of vodka. They began to meet him regularly and would wait to be picked up by him.

One of the girls would end up alone with Khaliq or ‘Bash’ as he was known, and jurors were told that a care home worker would see him waiting outside for her and spoke to him, ensuring he knew she was under 16 and in a children’s home. The court heard that much of the abuse towards one of the girls began with events at a house in Bradford belonging to Saeed Akhtar. It was at this property where one of the girls began her addiction to cocaine and Ms Melly said that once she became addicted, she was easy to control and was used for sex by men who came to the property.