One victim was forced to have sex with at least 20 men in one night; another was forced to drink vodka, and was vomiting over the side of the bed while being raped by countless men. The patchy training of frontline staff was to blame for the way childrens social care responded to the victims, the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) said in its review into child sexual exploitation after the trial. Former Det Con Maggie Oliver, who resigned in 2012 to turn whistleblower over the force's failings, said she was pleased with the outcome. But before what turned out to be the final interview, Oliver says she started to notice a change in tone from senior officers, and felt they were now deliberately trying to push this victim away. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? [2] One 13-year-old victim had an abortion after becoming pregnant. [52], In December 2013, the case review by Rochdale County was leaked, which highlighted findings from an internal police investigation. [23], In March 2015, ten men aged between 26 and 45 were charged with serious sex offences against seven females aged between 13 and 23 at the time. Rochdale grooming scandal Nine men who abused girls as young as 13 were convicted over a child sex grooming ring, guilty of 21 counts of sexual abuse over a two-year period. [2] One gang member convicted of sex trafficking was a religious studies teacher at a mosque and a married father of five. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. He said the actions of criminals who thought "white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused" were "bringing shame on our community. Instead of being viewed as child victims of sexual abuse, they were branded by police as "bad" or "unreliable" witnesses and were sometimes arrested themselves, the women said. As a result of police failures to respond to evidence, the men who had groomed the three children were able to continue . 2 pairs of Gents White briefs with elasticated front pouch. In 2012 nine men were sentenced for the abuse and exploitation of young, mostly white girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. It took police 11 months to compile a file of evidence for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) after interviewing the young victim from the takeaway on four separate occasions. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, had fought the deportation on human . "[54], One of the seven officers retired without any sanctions being taken, even though his misconduct was found to have warranted disciplinary action. You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk, Grooming gang member in deportation plea over son, Grooming gang member complains over treatment, Higher Broughton: Stabbing outside McDonalds leaving boy injured, BREAKING: Boy, 15, in a serious condition after stabbing outside McDonalds, Firefighters tackle waste fire in Milnrow after 'explosion', Delays on M62 Westbound near Birchwood after vehicle overturned, Bolton: Five charged on suspicion of drug crimes, Met Office snow and weather forecast for where you live in Greater Manchester, Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. The perpetrators would pass the girls to their friends, often to settle a debt. Two men who were part of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang have lost an appeal against deportation back to Pakistan following a seven-year legal battle, immigration judges have ruled. The report makes recommendations for each of the agencies involved: CAFCASS; Rochdale MBC Children's Services (Targeted services, Safeguarding Children Unit, and Schools); Connexions Rochdale; Early Break (Young People's Drug and Alcohol Service) ; Greater Manchester Police; Pennine Acute NHS Trust; Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust; RMBC Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. After a while, the girl was being driven to different houses or flats where there would be other men waiting. He said that of convictions involving child sexual exploitation, 87% were of British Pakistani men and it was a significant problem for that community. They talk about the choices they've made, their relationships, families, frustrations and hopes. Ten months after her case had been dropped, police decided to revisit the case after more complaints emerged. I push thoughts about the abuse out of my head. [25] Furthermore, The Times article alleged: "with the exception of one town there is scant evidence of work being undertaken in British Pakistani communities to confront the problem" of "pimping gangs" largely consisting of "members of the British Pakistani community". [10] The gang worked to secure underage girls to rape and exploit.[11][12]. The second woman was 14 when the abuse began. Lawyers for Rauf said the law demands consistency of treatment and although Rauf could regain his Pakistani nationality simply by signing a form, he refuses to do so because he does not want to be deported. The investigation slowly built a compelling case, away from the public gaze. She specifically spoke of her abuse at the hands of two members of the gang who would later be jailed four years. While GMP has finally settled the claim, which includes the personal apology from the chief constable, the DPP has so far resisted. "I felt let down," she said. 'NO REMORSE' Rochdale grooming gang paedophiles launch ANOTHER appeal to stay in UK. Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, made a personal apology to three of the Rochdale victims. which was prompted by high profile cases of sexual grooming in towns including Rochdale and Rotherham. The Independent Office for Police Conduct quoted a chief inspector on the sexual abuse cases in Rotherham saying "With it being Asians, we can't afford for this to be coming out" - cementing the. Greater Manchester Police have arrested a number of suspects involved in historical grooming gang crimes committed against women between 2002 and 2006 in Rochdale, England, one of the country's most notorious grooming gang epicentres. During that period, Amber by now pregnant and living in a one-room flat continued to be targeted by the grooming gangs. But wheres the evidence? For other inquiries, Contact Us. In June 2017 it was revealed that the members of the Rochdale gang facing deportation will receive legal aid to fight attempts to send them back to Pakistan, prompting widespread public anger. Kabeer Hassan was sentenced to nine years for rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. [22] Operation Doublet was launched at the same time as an investigation into child grooming and sexual abuse in the region. She later went on to positively identify a number of offenders, which enabled charges to be brought against them all. Details. Abdul Aziz received a similar sentence: nine years (concurrently) for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Casemiro has emerged as a leader at Man Utd this season and Erik ten Hag has hailed the influence of the Brazilian midfielder. . Furious, Maggie vowed never to be part of such an investigation in future. Critics say the delays meant more girls were left to be abused while the criminal justice system slowly changed its course. Police drove her home and told her they could not do anything because they did not have the man's name. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigated Kabeer Hassan and another man, aged 59. Operation Span was the investigation launched in December 2009 into allegations made against the individuals who were convicted in 2012, and others. But not all. "[3], Sayeeda Warsi, co-chairperson of the Conservative Party, in an interview with the Evening Standard, said "You can only start solving a problem if you acknowledge it first," and added, "This small minority who see women as second class citizens, and white women probably as third class citizens, are to be spoken out against." The staggering detail of how the victims in the Rochdale grooming scandal were treated exposed a system that was failing some of the most vulnerable children in our society This video cannot be. And then, in July 2009, an experienced CPS lawyer ruled the victim was not credible and decided that the two men who raped her should be released without charge. Some studies suggest an overrepresentation of black and Asian offenders relative to the demographics of national populations. Abdul Aziz, 51, Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Rauf, 52, were among nine gang members jailed in 2012 for a catalogue of child sex offences in Rochdale. Grooming gangs were able to operate unchallenged, to do part of their work in public spaces, with the confidence of being unchallenged due to cultural sensitivities. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The men from Rochdale and Oldham were found guilty of offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. They ripped away all my dignity". The woman now wants her story to be told to help people spot the signs of grooming, which she describes as "a common thing that not enough people know about". Mohammed Sajid, then 35 and of Rochdale, was convicted of one count of rape, sexual activity with a girl under 16 and trafficking for sexual exploitation and was jailed for 12 years. "I've had a lot of problems in the past, suicide attempts and drinking, but now I know something is being done to prevent it happening again. Amber still sees those whom she says raped, beat and tortured her, out and about in Rochdale. have fuelled fight-wing groups opposing multiculturalism and immigration. [55], Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 10:03, UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science, Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre, List of sexual abuses perpetrated by groups, Post-assault treatment of sexual assault victims, "Rochdale grooming trial: gang convicted for sex trafficking", "Rochdale child sex ring case: respected men who preyed on the vulnerable", "Rochdale grooming trial: Nine found guilty of child sex charges", "Rochdale grooming trial: how the case unfolded", "Rochdale child sex ring: did political correctness delay justice? In Rochdale, which is home to approximately 20,000 people of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, far-right activists spied an opportunity. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? O-2246. "It's not a normal relationship when your boyfriend is getting you to sleep with all his friends for money.". It meant she was regarded by the prosecution as a member of the grooming gang whose members would go in the dock, even though she was not charged and would not stand beside them in court. Who were the men in the Rochdale grooming gang and what happened to them? Aziz had renounced his Pakistani citizenship on 13 July, 2018, six years after he was jailed, but just days before the Court of Appeal ruled he could be deprived of his UK citizenship. Id been used. There was a string of different inquiries into what went wrong. Taxi driver Abdul Qayyum, 44, of Rochdale, - known by the name "Tiger" - was jailed for five years. Amber was understandably reluctant to trust the police. Find Jobs. On one of those interviews a police officer can be heard yawning while repeatedly asking why she had put herself in such a vulnerable position. In 2012 nine men were jailed for their part in a child sexual exploitation ring in Rochdale. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. A new investigation, dubbed Operation Span, was launched. "It will always be there, but I know how to deal with it," she said. It was then she told police for the first time what was going on. What's the least exercise we can get away with? Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, nine men were convicted in May 2012. It was reported he would be deported back to Pakistan following the conclusion of his sentence. Nine men between 24 and 38 years old were arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child. In subsequent cases, the racial and religious background of perpetrators have been exploited by some - but there have also been accusations that authorities were slow to act on concerns for fear of being dubbed racist. But once the CPS advised the GMP that she was no longer seen as a suspect, she was persuaded by Oliver to begin a series of video interviews and ID parades. The review recommended the Greater Manchester Police establish a monitoring system and commit to maintaining a child sexual exploitation team. Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation: Characteristics of Offending Page 2 of 57 Operation Retriever 42 Operation Brooke 44 . Of the 56 offenders convicted since 1997 for crimes relating to on-street grooming of girls aged 11 to 16, three were white, 53 were Asian of which 50 were Muslim, and most were from the British Pakistani community. The three-part series tells the story of the victims of an infamous child grooming and sex trafficking scandal in Rochdale, and continues on Wednesday night. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. After having been appointed head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in November 2008, Sir Keir's half decade in the position oversaw cases as large and polarising as the Rochdale grooming . It drew statistics from organisations such as Barnardo's but the findings were considered inconclusive by expert academics because not all the figures had been compiled in the same way and ethnicity had not always been noted with each reported crime. I felt sick, got upset nothing never no one from police came to me to explain why I was no longer going to court. It was like a casual, Oh, bring your friends. She was a vulnerable child, being sexually abused, controlled and in fear. Nothing happened. Finally, after a gruelling 18 months and several hearings, the judge threw the case out. "At first I felt really bad, dirty and ashamed. Some of you acted as you did to satiate your lust, some of you to make money, all of you treated them as though they were worthless and beyond respect.. "[35] By May 2012, according to The Independent, Crop had "gone suddenly silent" concerning the percentage of abusers of Asian origin who had come to the organisation's attention: Willmer explained to the paper: "We've been accused of being a cover for the BNP". In this case the judge did indicate his belief that the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. And more than that, she was among a band of white girls who were being specifically targeted by a gang of largely Pakistani-heritage men because, as the trial judge would later acknowledge, the mens victims were not of your community or religion. In 2019, Amber, along with two other victims, with the help of the Centre for Womens Justice, issued a civil claim for damages against GMP and the director of public prosecutions (DPP). The victims, many of whom were from difficult backgrounds and therefore particularly vulnerable, were plied with drugs, alcohol and fast food, and then taken to chill houses across the north of England to be abused. One of their victims tells her story. She had a knack of speaking on a human level to estate kids and she was head-hunted by her bosses to persuade them to give evidence in the trial despite the woeful original investigation. It was not until summer 2011 that Nazir Afzal, the new regional head of the CPS, reversed the decision not to prosecute. The victim told police in 2008 Freddie Kendakumana raped her but he was not charged until October 2012. Sheer lack of resource, and also the fact that their bosses seemed reluctant to grasp the nettle for fear of being branded racist, contributed to delays in the investigation. Mohammed Amin, 45, of Falinge, was convicted of sexual assault and received a five-year jail term. Read about our approach to external linking. Her mother was not allowed to be with her during the interview, and there was no mention of an appropriate adult. Another five-year sentence was given to Abdul Qayyum for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children, while Hamid Safi received four years for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Abdul Rauf, then 43, of Rochdale, was convicted of trafficking a child within the UK for sexual exploitation and received six years. The women, who cannot be named for legal reasons, met Chief Constable Stephen Watson to be given the apology for police failings. The vile group exploited girls as young as 13 and were. To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here. The Government retrospectively changing laws in response to being ruled against in DWP workfare case even before Appeal is heard and to prevent legal re-imbursement of seized benefits in defiance of Appeal Court ruling. She was being shared around paedophiles across the north of England. I took it online and made 25k', Jasmine Shum turned to Instagram after she was banned from selling her creations in the playground. At best this was distracting for leaders and influenced the areas that resources were focused on". 2023 BBC. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. Afterwards, she told me: I went home, put it to the back of my mind to be honest. Handout pictures released by Greater Manchester police in 2012 show eight of nine men convicted in connection with the child sexual exploitation ring. ", "Lesley Sharp: 'What happened to the girls in Rochdale is never far from my mind', "British-Pakistani researchers say grooming gangs are 84% Asian", Failing victims, fuelling hate: challenging the harms of the 'Muslim grooming gangs' narrative. There were fears that press involvement would frighten the girls away. Maggie spent six months speaking to the victims from Rochdale and persuaded them to give evidence. Paul Wilson, 21, admitted 47 charges including rape and grooming and must serve at least 15 years of a life term. This eventually led to the successful prosecution of nine men for offences included rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. Video, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, Walkie Talkie architect Rafael Violy dies aged 78. [2], The victims, vulnerable teenagers from deprived, dysfunctional backgrounds, were targeted in "honeypot locations" where young people congregated, such as takeaway food shops. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. She told me: Police werent arsed with us, really. Of the three not convicted, one was cleared of all charges, the jury was unable to reach a verdict in the case of the second, and the third was not present at the trial after fleeing to Pakistan whilst on bail. That nightmare should have ended with the arrest and trial of the perpetrators, but instead the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and even social services treated her not as a victim but as a perpetrator. He said: We now know that Rochdale was not an isolated case. The investigation was suddenly scrapped with no-one arrested or charged. Mohammed Sajid was sentenced to 12 years for rape, sexual activity with a girl under 16, trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Actress Maxine Peake starred in the series as Sara Rowbotham, the sexual health aid worker who first uncovered the patterns of severe abuse in the area, but struggled to bring it to the attention of authorities. They added that although the abuse was happening "in plain sight" and despite police and social services having the names of the men involved and their victims, a police operation to tackle the gangs was closed down abruptly in 2004. View our online Press Pack. Four members of the grooming gang including ringleader Shabir Ahmed face deportation to Pakistan. anyone coming from abroad was required to quarantine for 14 days. The period during the buildup to the trial of the men accused of being part of the grooming gang, was dark for Amber. [41][42][43], Two of the convicted gang members worked at Eagle Taxis, which was taken over by Car 2000 after the scandal. Finally, she has been exonerated. Some of the men involved were arrested, tried and found guilty. Cryer said, "Neither the police nor social services would touch those cases. In October 2010 the M.E.N. 17 miles | Rochdale, Manchester Features: Front+Back Dual cover,360 protection. If such people know they have been 'rumbled', and they will sense it by the way people look at, behave and react to them, it will help disrupt their activities. She walked out, refusing to go along with this decision, and was forbidden from speaking to Amber. The book oers intimate details of the lives that they've never publicly revealed. He was a driver for Eagle Taxis for 14 years and was known as "Car Zero". 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