"I never saw my accusers in their school uniform" - Rotherham rape defendant

AN ALLEGED rapist said he never saw any of his accusers in their school uniforms and didn’t have “anything to do with them until I was over 18”, a court has heard.
Abid SaddiqAbid Saddiq
Abid Saddiq

Abid Saddiq (38), of Walter Street, Masbrough, is on trial at Sheffield Crown Court accused of nine offences against seven girls between 1998 and 2002.

Judge Michael Slater is summing up the evidence in the trial, where Saddiq is being tried alongside Aftab Hussain (40), of York Road, Rotherham, Masaued Malik (34), Sharaz Hussain (34), of Fitzwilliam Road, Eastwood, and two other men, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The men are accused of 25 child sexual exploitation offences between them which are said to have taken place between 1998 and 2002.

Saddiq is accused of twice indecently assaulting Girl A between 1998 and 2000 when she was 13 or 14 – including making her perform oral sex on him in Boots alleyway.

Summing up Saddiq’s defence case, Mr Slater said the defendant said he only met Girl A in 2003 or 2004, after he had returned from Pakistan, where he had been arranging his wife’s visa to come to the UK.

He said he had met her a few months after he had returned either in Rotherham bus station or in the town centre.

“I can remember when I spoke to her the first time,” he said.

“She looked, to me, to be 18 or 19. I thought that because of the way she dressed, she had make-up on and her nails were done.

“[Girl A] never gave me oral sex in Boots alleyway. I never had sex with her between 1998 and 1999 or in 2000.”

Saddiq said he had sex with Girl A after 2003, when “she liked me and I liked her”.

“We were like girlfriend and boyfriend,” he said.

Saddiq is accused of raping Girl B in Boots alleyway between 2000 and 2001 when she would have been 14 or 15.

He said he met Girl B in 2006 or 2007 outside Ladbrokes in Rotherham town centre, opposite the County Borough pub.

Saddiq said the girl looked about 18 or 19 and he had gone to the Rhino pub with the girl’s mother and sister.

He said he had gone back to the girls’ home with her family and they had sex on the sofa.

“I did not see her in Boots alleyway and I did not rape her in Boots alleyway,” she said.

“I do not know why she makes these allegations against me.”

Saddiq is accused of raping Girl C between 2000 and 2001 at Rotherham Railway Station when she would have been 14 or 15.

He said he met Girl C between 2003 and 2004 – at least two years after the offences were said to have taken place.

“I can’t remember how [the girl] was dressed – I think she was wearing make-up,” he said.

“I never saw her wearing school uniform.”

Saddiq is accused of abducting Girl D and Girl E, by taking them a train journey to Leeds, between January and December, 2002, when the girls would have been 14 or 15.

He said he first met them in 2003 outside a bookmakers in Rotherham town centre where they asked him for cigarettes and money.

Saddiq said the girls looked about 16 or 17 and he never saw them in their school uniform.

Saddiq is accused of indecently assaulting Girl F twice between 2000 and 2002 when she would have been 14 or 15.

He said he had first met the girl in 2002 or 2003 in Rotherham Bus Station and had never seen her wearing school uniform.

“All six of my accusers are wrong if they are saying I have sexually abused them in the way they have alleged,” he said under cross-examination.

“I don’t know why they have said these things against me.

 “I had nothing to do with any of the girls until I was over 18.

 “I never saw any of the girls in school uniform - not one.”

The charges have all been brought as part of the National Crime Agency’s Operation Stovewood investigation.

The trial continues and the jury are expected to retire to consider their verdicts at 10am on Tuesday (27).

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