Eight defendants in CSE trial plead not guilty to 74 charges

THE eight defendants in the Rotherham child sexual exploitation trial have all pleaded not guilty to the charges they face.

The six men and two women appeared at Sheffield Crown Court on Friday to enter their pleas to the 61 count indictment which features 14 female complainants.

There are 74 charges in total which are said to have been carried out between 1990 and 2003.

Arshid Hussain (40), of East Cowick, Goole, appeared at court in a wheelchair which could not fit into the dock and so he sat outside of it as the charges were put to him.

Hussain is charged with the most offences with 30 charges against him including rape, buggery, indecent assault, procuring a woman to become a common prostitute, assault, false imprisonment and abduction all between 1990-2001.

Brothers Bannaras Hussain (36), of Swinefleet, Goole, and Basharat Hussain (38), of no fixed abode, who have both been on remand face 11 and 15 charges respectively.

Basharat’s charges include rape, three counts of indecency with a child between 1996-1997, procuring a girl to have unlawful sex and threats to kill.

Sajid Bostan (38), Broom Avenue, Broom, is charged with seven offences including four counts of rape between 1990-1998, two counts of aiding and abetting rape and indecent assault between 1990-1995.

His brother Majid Bostan (37), of Ledsham Road, Broom, faces just one charge of indecent assault between 1990-1995.

Qurban Ali (53), of Clough Road, Masbrough, is charged with four offences which are said to have taken place between 1993-1995, they are rape, indecent assault, conspiracy to rape and procuring a girl to have unlawful sex.

Karen MacGregor (59), of Barnsley Road, Wath, and Shelley Davies (40), of Wainwright Road, Kimberworth Park, both face three charges which allegedly took place between 1993-1995 which are conspiracy to procure a woman to become a common prostitute, false imprisonment and conspiracy to rape.

The trial begins on December 7 and is due to last eight weeks.

Bannaras Hussain and Basharat Hussain were remanded in custody while their co-defendants were released on conditional bail.