Eight men treated girls as 'objects' for sexual exploitation in Rochdale, trial hears

Two 'vulnerable' girls were 'exploited for sexual gratification' by a group of men in Rochdale, a trial has heard.

Eight men have gone on trial at Minshull Street Crown Court charged with 80 sexual offences between 2002 and 2006. The two alleged victims cannot be named for legal reasons.

Opening the case on Thursday (May 25), prosecutor Neil Usher said the girls were treated as 'mere objects for the defendants to use, abuse, humiliate then discard'.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

The court heard how the offences were first brought to light when one of the women spoke of the alleged abuse she suffered as a child while on a course. Jurors heard that police were alerted after she made the claims in a presentation, saying: "I was abused daily for six years. I was 12 when they began to abuse me, feeding me alcohol and drugs... and pass me on to their friends.

"I had no choice but do what they say or I would be beaten and raped."

She told officers she met a group of men, including Mohammed Ghani, when she was 12. The jury heard how she was then sexually exploited and abused by each of the eight defendants over a period of years.

Police identified the second complainant, who said she was abused from the age of 13, the court heard.

Mr Usher said not all of the eight defendants were known to each other, but that the group was 'centered' around Mr Ghani.

"The prosecution say each defendant exploited the fact that the two girls were plainly very young, vulnerable and damaged children, for their own sexual gratification," he told jurors.

The court heard how the first complainant met Mohammed Ghani, who she knew as 'Gunny', when she was 12 and became 'smitten with him', thinking they were in a