Mr Watson told the women it was "a matter of profound personal regret that your childhood was so cruelly impacted by the dreadful experiences which you endured". An External Reference Group, consisting of independent experts on child sexual exploitation . Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, made a personal apology to three of the Rochdale victims. The company's owner said that due to requests, clients could choose to have a white driver but this was reversed after 50 Asian drivers protested. He said the actions of criminals who thought "white teenage girls are worthless and can be abused" were "bringing shame on our community. The organisation defined underage grooming as any situation where a child or young person received a gift in exchange for sexual favours. 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. She was vilified and nicknamed in the press as the Honey Monster. [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. Vulnerable children some as young as 11 were targeted by child abusers in the town of Telford, Shropshire, over 40 years. Child sexual exploitation has been uncovered in towns, cities and counties all over the country and it affects both girls and boys from all backgrounds. [2] One gang member convicted of sex trafficking was a religious studies teacher at a mosque and a married father of five. The BBC reports Kabeer Hassan, then 25, of Oldham, was sentenced to nine years for rape and three years, concurrently, for the conspiracy conviction. There was a complete lack of understanding of the world in which they existed. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. The testimony of one of the five victims of the Rochdale grooming ring revealed the depth of the exploitation she suffered. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. Blind to his grooming, the girls were soon trapped in a terrifying cycle of sexual and physical abuse. I asked Amber what gave her the strength to give evidence to the police, after what she had gone through. The women, who were abused as children, brought a legal claim against the police force, The men plied their victims with drink and drugs and "passed them around" for sex. In 2012 nine men were sentenced for the abuse and exploitation of young, mostly white girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. It was in nearby Oldham, in 2001, that tensions between white and Asian locals, exacerbated by neo-Nazi provocateurs, had boiled over into a riot. This vulnerable girl had been failed.. The grooming and subsequent abuse - which centred around the town of Heywood - began when the woman, now aged 19, was a 15-year-old schoolgirl. "I was scared telling them, because I didn't know what the consequences would be from the men. He took his victim to flats in Rochdale where she was plied with vodka and drugs and coerced into sex with gangs of men in return for payment to him. [25], The findings have been questioned by researchers Ella Cockbain and Helen Brayley, from whose work for the UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science The Times report had drawn much of its evidence. he'd been at a trump rally in the states under lockdown rules. In this case the judge did indicate his belief that the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community. I gave hours of interviews, reliving all the abuse. 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. She specifically spoke of her abuse at the hands of two members of the gang who would later be jailed four years. Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. [41][42][43], Two of the convicted gang members worked at Eagle Taxis, which was taken over by Car 2000 after the scandal. [47] However this report was "fiercely" criticised for its unscientific nature and poor methodology by child sexual exploitation experts Ella Cockbain and Waqas Tufail, in their paper "Failing Victims, Fuelling Hate: Challenging the Harms of the 'Muslim grooming gangs' Narrative" which was published in January 2020. O-2246. "Most child sexual abuse gangs made up of white men, Home Office report says", "A new Home Office report admits grooming gangs are not a 'Muslim problem', "Rochdale sex-grooming gangs able to flourish due to police errors says report", Greater Manchester Police, Report into Rochdale CSE investigation, 13 March 2015, "No officers to be charged over Rochdale child abuse failure, say police", The Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board, Review of Multi-Agency Responses to the Sexual Exploitation of Children, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rochdale_child_sex_abuse_ring&oldid=1140279348, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 10:03. "[32] Further research has been pursued since late 2011 by the Office of the Children's Commissioner. Abdul Rauf was sentenced to six years for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. When we met in a hotel in Rochdale last month, Amber was accompanied by Maggie Oliver, a former police detective who walked out of the job in protest at the way Amber had been treated. To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here. Search more than 3,000 jobs in the charity sector. She was later burnt repeatedly with a heated spoon when she refused to comply with the demands of a group of men, but was accused by police of inflicting the wounds on herself and arrested for disorderly behaviour. The investigation was suddenly scrapped with no-one arrested or charged. The inspector concluded the abuse could have stopped if the authorities had stepped in sooner. ", 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, Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61, Alex Murdaugh's legal troubles are far from over, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week. Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, nine men were convicted in May 2012. Three Girls tells the true, harrowing tale of young girls being groomed in Rochdale BBC The dramatisation tells the story of three children who were victims in the scandal and stars Maxine Peake. Mr Watson said the force should have done more to protect them. My name has been dragged through the mud. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Id been used. [32], Hilary Willmer, representing a Leeds-based support group for parents of sexually exploited girls, the Coalition for the Removal of Pimping (Crop), was quoted as saying "The vast majority [of] perpetrators are Pakistani Asians",[35] with sources inside Crop claiming a percentage as high as 80 per cent although, The Independent said that "Kurdish, Romanian and Albanian gangs were also involved". In October 2010 the M.E.N. Even though she had been a victim, she was accused of being involved in the grooming. I never thought that they would do what they did to me, because you don't think that would happen.". I trusted police that I would be helped this time. [9] The men were aged between 24-59 and all knew each other. Nine men of mainly Pakistani heritage were convicted in 2012 after a long, complex trial for offences that happened in and around Rochdale in 2008 and 2009. The men from Rochdale and Oldham were found guilty of offences including rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. Jailing them, Judge Gerald Clifton said: You have all been convicted by the jury after a long trial of grave sexual offences which were committed between the spring of 2008 and 2010. "At first I thought it was great because nothing sexual had happened, I thought I could just get all of this stuff for free.". Two members of the grooming gang the gangs ringleader Shabir Ahmed and Kabeer Hassan were arrested and released on bail. I took it online and made 25k', Jasmine Shum turned to Instagram after she was banned from selling her creations in the playground. In 2012 nine men were jailed for their part in a child sexual exploitation ring in Rochdale. [32] Ella Cockbain and Helen Brayley pointed out, "There is no criminal offence of 'on-street grooming' and as a result it is very difficult to measure the extent of the crime based on court statistics. A separate civil claim launched by the women against the Crown Prosecution Service is ongoing. View our online Press Pack. Read about our approach to external linking. This is last 12 4 days ago 9 Raleigh Chilton Gents Bike 17 miles | Alderley Edge, Cheshire 22"frame. History was repeating itself, said Maggie. After a troubled upbringing, Amber had been placed on the child protection register as being at risk of sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Also cited were a lack of managerial oversight in 2008 and 2009 and lack of resources and managerial support for the investigations despite formal requests. While GMP has finally settled the claim, which includes the personal apology from the chief constable, the DPP has so far resisted. They were 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. rochdale grooming case details. She later went on to positively identify a number of offenders, which enabled charges to be brought against them all. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, are . 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Nine men were convicted of being part of the child sexual exploitation ring, Nazir Afzal regrets that the CPS dropped the original grooming case, Harry: I always felt different to rest of family, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer. 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 didnt want other people to feel how I felt. Her courage and Olivers support resulted in a database of abusers whom she identified by names, car registrations, telephone numbers and addresses. To date, the CPS has not accepted any failure on its part and instead continues to herald this case as the first successful prosecution of a grooming gang. . Sign up and we will email you daily with the best of our political and news coverage while also giving you a taste of our most-popular lifestyle, opinion and personal blogs. Although police interviewed a total of 56 men on suspicion of abuse, only a handful were tried. "I know they believed me, they said to me at the end that something should have been done.". The court heard how the men - eight of Pakistani origin and one from Afghanistan - gave their victims drink and drugs before passing them round for sex. 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'. 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 The trial of nine of the grooming gang was pending, and in the meantime, despite never having been informed, arrested or cautioned, Amber was added to the indictment by the CPS as a co-conspirator. [I] cant remember exactly what they said, but it was something along the lines of being a madam, she recalled. We are a 3-branch practice, in the middle of the Sperrin Mountains, with only a 40-minute drive to our stunning North Coast and Glens, 40-minute drive to our airports and 40-minute drive from the hustle and bustle of Belfast or Derry city life. Leeds man Robert Glendinning was jailed at Bradford Crown Court yesterday after a judge heard details of his repeated abuse of the children in the late 1970s. Find a Job 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. She was later forced into prostitution and at 13, became pregnant by one of the men, Adil Khan, and had an abortion. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Two worked for the same taxi firm and another two worked at a takeaway restaurant; some came from the same village in Pakistan and another two men shared a flat. [10] The gang worked to secure underage girls to rape and exploit.[11][12]. They ripped away all my dignity". [22] Operation Doublet was launched at the same time as an investigation into child grooming and sexual abuse in the region. The picture which emerged was one of vulnerable young girls, some as young as 10, who were being targeted for sexual abuse and written off by authorities who believed the girls were making their own choices. In 2015 three men were sentenced for a string of child sexual offences that took place in Rochdale. Girls aged between 13 and 15 were trafficked, prostituted, raped and assaulted by the gang. [24], The case raised a serious debate about whether the crimes were racially motivated. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. The victims were coerced and bribed into keeping quiet about the abuse by a combination of alcohol and drugs, food, small sums of money and other gifts. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Top row, left to right, Abdul Rauf, Hamid Safi, Mohammed Sajid and Abdul Aziz; bottom row, left to right, Abdul Qayyum, Adil Khan, Mohammed Amin and Kabeer Hassan, Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of a gang of Asian men who groomed young white girls for sex. These involved the grooming and sexual exploitation of several girls, aged in their early teens. In a case with similarities to the grooming gang scandals of Rotherham and Rochdale, girls were groomed, drugged and raped by paedophiles and victims warn the crimes are still happening. Adil Khan, 51, and Qari Abdul Rauf, 52, had fought the deportation on human . He continued: "GMP could and should have done much more to protect you and we let you down.". The abuse took place in Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, in the early 2000s. But she changed her mind when Operation Span came knocking and she was given cast iron assurances the victims would be supported. On one occasion he ordered a girl aged 15 to have sex with Kabeer Hassan, as a "treat" for his birthday Hassan then raped the girl. 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. Handout pictures released by Greater Manchester police in 2012 show eight of nine men convicted in connection with the child sexual exploitation ring. Two members of the Rochdale grooming gang are set to be deported to Pakistan after a seven-year legal battle following a ruling by immigration judges. The second woman was 14 when the abuse began. By then police were investigating allegations from another girl about on-street grooming in Heywood. 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. The report also showed that more than 3,000 children under the age of 18 were reported missing in Greater Manchester in 2014. [31], In late 2011, the Office of the Children's Commissioner began a two-year long inquiry into child sexual exploitation by street gangs. The M.E.N's crime reporter John Scheerhout gives his insight into the BBC dramatisation of the Rochdale grooming case According to legal documents, there was growing evidence from the early 2000s that gangs of predominantly Asian men were grooming, trafficking and sexually abusing mostly white working-class girls in the town. He was a driver for Eagle Taxis for 14 years and was known as "Car Zero". A tribunal heard Aziz, known as "the Master", has been told he will not be deported by the Home Office. Now we have to confront forced marriage among Travellers', "Rochdale paedophile ringleader is named", "Rochdale child sex ring: nine men jailed", "Rochdale Child Sex Ring: 'Master', 'Tiger' and Seven Others Guilty of Rape and Trafficking", "Rochdale grooming leader guilty of child rape", "Rochdale grooming trial: Nine men jailed", "Members of Rochdale grooming gang face deportation to Pakistan", "Arrests made in second Rochdale sex grooming scandal", "Police vow to arrest even more child sex suspects", "Ten men charged over Rochdale child abuse claims", "Revealed: conspiracy of silence on UK sex gangs", "Rochdale grooming trial: Police accused of failing to investigate paedophile gang for fear of appearing racist", "Rochdale grooming trial: Asian grooming gangs, the uncomfortable issue", "Report 'downplays sex abuse by Asian men', "Quitting the English Defence League: When Tommy Met Mo", "Sexually exploited children are at further risk in care, says Barnardo's", "Child sex trafficking study sparks exaggerated racial stereotyping", "Grooming offences committed mostly by Asian men, says ex-Barnardo's chief", "Rochdale featured in sex grooming documentary", "Heywood: Rochdale town at the centre of child sex ring", "Why the Rochdale 'grooming trial' wasn't about race", "Complaints over use of 'Asian' label in grooming cases", "It's time to stop using the word 'Asians', "UK Hindus, Sikhs protest 'Asian' label for culprits", "Rochdale taxi firm boss in 'race choice' U-turn", "Child grooming and sexual exploitation: are South Asian men the UK media's new folk devils?