The testimony of one of the five victims of the Rochdale grooming ring revealed the depth of the exploitation she suffered. 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. Maggie Oliver was again left fuming when one of the girls she had talked round - a victim of abuse - was placed in the indictment that went before the jury. Victor Farrant 73. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. 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. Behind the scenes, however, there was consternation. Members of the Conservative Growth Group formed by Liz Truss allies out of the ashes of her departure met Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in Downing Street on Tuesday to put forward their requests, Playbook has confirmed. Social services became involved when she started to arrive at school dirty and sometimes smelling of alcohol. Thin, fits your phone perfectly and provides maximum protection with slim appearance and ligh 5 10 days ago 2 Carlube silicone spray 13 miles | Bolton, Manchester What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 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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. Show. 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. [2][3][4] The men were British Pakistanis, which led to discussion on whether the failure to investigate them was linked to the authorities' fear of being accused of racial prejudice. Because she was not involved in the trial, and therefore did not give evidence, she had no opportunity to defend herself. 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. Molly Windsor, Liv Hill and Ria Zmitrowicz feature as a trio of girls drawn into the frightening world of sexual exploitation. Three trials were conducted where jurors were told of how these men preyed specifically on young girls under the age of 16 from vulnerable backgrounds. No further action was taken against Amber, but it would be another two years before the CPS agreed that she should be treated as a victim and witness rather than a suspect. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Search more than 3,000 jobs in the charity sector. Brand new in box. This resulted in Greater Manchester Police launching Operation Doublet to investigate further claims of abuse with . 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. But when the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reviewed the case in summer 2009, it was decided that the girl "would not be viewed as a credible witness" - a decision not appealed against by GMP - and no prosecution was brought. [citation needed], Twelve men were initially charged with sex trafficking and other offences including: rape, trafficking girls for sex and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. Police seized the foetus as evidence, but she was not notified, nor was her mother or any responsible adult. Attempts by Rochdale Crisis Intervention Team co-ordinator for the NHS, Sara Rowbotham, to alert police and authorities to "patterns of sexual abuse" were ignored. At conservative gathering, Trump is still the favourite. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. All three men from Rochdale involved in the appeal were found guilty of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children under the age of 16 and trafficking for sexual exploitation following. In December 2013 a further five men were jailed after an investigation into the sexual abuse of a girl was reopened following the exposure of police failings. An independent report commissioned by Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims. She added: "The danger with saying that the problem is with one ethnicity is that then people will only be on the lookout for that group and will risk missing other threats. Furious, Maggie vowed never to be part of such an investigation in future. [32] The inquiry issued its final report in November 2013. 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? Abdul Aziz received a similar sentence: nine years (concurrently) for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. One victim, a 15-year-old known as the Honey Monster, acted as a recruiter, procuring girls as young as 13 for the gang. 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. Ive got a box in the back of my head, and I just put it all in there and its locked away.. "I wouldn't go out of the house for nine months on my own without my mum or dad, because I was frightened," she said. 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. After the trials conclusion, there were public apologies from the police, the council and prosecutors for failing the victims. What's the least exercise we can get away with? Speaking at the conclusion of a 10-week trial at Liverpool Crown. The M.E.N's crime reporter John Scheerhout gives his insight into the BBC dramatisation of the Rochdale grooming case Environmental-friendly TPU material, and special processing that makes it more transparent and crystal. The organisation defined underage grooming as any situation where a child or young person received a gift in exchange for sexual favours. Although police interviewed a total of 56 men on suspicion of abuse, only a handful were tried. Were told 84% of grooming gangs are Asian. How 'deluded' Putin thought Ukraine invasion would break up Nato & have West bowing down to Russia, leaked docs show, Man had sex with his wife on bollard after fuming neighbour placed it in cul-de-sac in protest during parking row, 'Bubbly' nightclub worker, 31, killed after her Audi crashed into a bridge on her way home from work, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). They were 2023 BBC. The grooming scandals in Rochdale and similar ones in other cities which involved Asian men, including Oxford and Rotherham, have fuelled fight-wing groups opposing multiculturalism and immigration. 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'. It was absolute disrespect that vulnerable young people did not have a voice. In some cases those girls were raped callously, viciously and violently. The ID parades were particularly gruelling for Amber, who did 12 in one day alone, correctly identifying 10 of her abusers. 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. Liverpool Crown Court heard the group plied five victims with drink and drugs and "passed them around" for sex. [32], Wendy Shepherd, child sexual exploitation project manager for Barnardo's in the north of England, said that since she started working with the organisation, there has been "a shift from the men selling children in ones or twos to something that is much more organised in groups and networks. He was a driver for Eagle Taxis for 14 years and was known as "Car Zero". 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. Rochdale grooming gang: Wrong to deport members, tribunal told 27 June 2022 GMP Adil Khan (left) and Qari Rauf (right) were jailed in 2012 for a catalogue of serious child sex offences A. have fuelled fight-wing groups opposing multiculturalism and immigration. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. [28], Ann Cryer, Labour MP for Keighley, recalled in a BBC documentary filmed in 2012 that she had worked with the families of the victims involved, and had been "round at the police station virtually every week" and was "begging" both the police and social services to do something. After a troubled upbringing, Amber had been placed on the child protection register as being at risk of sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. 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. 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. She says she was never informed by police either that she was no longer being treated as a victim, or that none of those she alleged to be her abusers was to be prosecuted for her abuse. "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. We need to remember and learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure they are not repeated. In response to Ambers claim that it was wrong to name her on the indictment, it says it was both legally and tactically the correct course to take. Her complaint was not taken seriously and she carried on being abused by the gang until December 2008 when she fell pregnant and moved away. "[39], Nazir Afzal, who as the newly appointed chief crown prosecutor decided to bring the case to trial, said that sex, not race, was the key issue: "There is no community where women and girls are not vulnerable to sexual attack and that's a fact. Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? 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. Three Girls: Maggie Oliver says known paedophiles are still abusing girls in Rochdale and authorities are 'more interested in covering up mistakes', according to one officer who was involved. They dont give a fuck when youre not from a wealthy background.. "They threaten you, and you're scared of them, and that's how they make you do it.". She was vilified and nicknamed in the press as the Honey Monster. Two members of a Rochdale grooming gang are to be deported to Pakistan after losing a seven-year legal fight to remain in Britain. Abdul Aziz, then 41 and a married dad-of-three, of Rochdale, was convicted of trafficking for sexual exploitation and received a nine year sentence. Four members of the grooming gang including ringleader Shabir Ahmed face deportation to Pakistan. It was said Khan, who is married with one child, fathered the child of a 13-year-old victim. Rochdale is also being considered as part of the Independent Inquiry Into Child Sexual Abuse, which is examining whether authorities across the country took the problem seriously. I felt sick, got upset nothing never no one from police came to me to explain why I was no longer going to court. Mohammed Amin, 45, of Falinge, was convicted of sexual assault and received a five-year jail term. In some cases they were driven round Rochdale and Oldham to be made to have sex with paying customers. The women, who have been backed by lawyers from the Centre for Women's Justice charity, had brought a legal claim against the force. But not all. Handout pictures released by Greater Manchester police in 2012 show eight of nine men convicted in connection with the child sexual exploitation ring. Nazir Afzal, the newly-appointed chief crown prosecutor for the north west, reversed the decision not to prosecute the two who had been arrested and eventually authorised the charging of ten men in June 2011. which was prompted by high profile cases of sexual grooming in towns including Rochdale and Rotherham. Ringleader Shabir Ahmed was originally handed a 19 year sentence which was upped to 22 years for repeatedly raping a girl. One of the victims given the fictitious name Amber in Three Girls, the BBC One drama about the abuse was 14 when she was targeted by gang members. . [7] Actress Lesley Sharp played the police detective Margaret Oliver in the series. [14] The CPS's original decision was overturned in 2011 when a new chief prosecutor for the region, Nazir Afzal, a first generation British-Pakistani,[15] was appointed. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. . A 15-year-old girl was ordered to have sex with takeaway worker Kabeer Hassan as a birthday "treat", the judge told the court. Search more than 3,000 jobs in the charity sector. Between 2008 and 2010, a child abuse ring that came to be known as part of the grooming gang phenomenon operated in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Afterwards, she told me: I went home, put it to the back of my mind to be honest. Copley said: "We apologise to the victims and we give them our assurance that lessons have been learned, changes have been made and we are determined to use this to continue making improvements. [13], As a result of the CPS dropping the case, the police halted their investigation, which was resumed when a second girl made complaints of a similar nature in December 2009. It made me sick to my stomach. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Saving Private Ryan actor Tom Sizemore dies at 61. He shouted in court, "Where are the white people? 08 April 2021 The Rochdale grooming scandal was one of the most horrific cases of child sexual abuse in recent times. It was like a casual, Oh, bring your friends. She was a vulnerable child, being sexually abused, controlled and in fear. 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. 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. In some cases those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently. [53], On 13 March 2015, Greater Manchester Police apologised for its failure to investigate child sexual exploitation allegations more thoroughly between 2008 and 2010. Some studies suggest an overrepresentation of black and Asian offenders relative to the demographics of national populations. Rochdale grooming case - what really happened? A chance to stop the gang was missed in 2008 and both the police and the CPS were forced to apologise for their failings. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. The period during the buildup to the trial of the men accused of being part of the grooming gang, was dark for Amber. They were. Perhaps this week you could include something agitating hundreds of thousands of people. "[29] Cryer had attempted to reach the Muslim community and persuade it to take action: "I went to a friend of mine, who was a local councillor and happened to be a Muslim and therefore able to represent me to the elders, because I thought it was a good move to try to get those elders involved. He said the investigation was looking at cases in Rochdale dating back to 2003. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. My name has been dragged through the mud. At the time, she was living with an older victim but when she became pregnant by one of the men, she moved back in with her parents. [10] The gang worked to secure underage girls to rape and exploit.[11][12]. Former Det Con Maggie Oliver, who resigned in 2012 to turn whistleblower over the force's failings, said she was pleased with the outcome. She was being raped. Since being released from jail, the men have fought a long legal battle against deportation, mounting multiple legal challenges and appeals, spanning several years. Oliver had been headhunted to join the grooming gangs case as detective and victim liaison officer in 2010 because of her experience working with vulnerable victims. In other words, victims of horrific abuse had been ignored until one of them - the girl who smashed up the takeaway - finally made her story heard. 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. By then police were investigating allegations from another girl about on-street grooming in Heywood. 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. 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. Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said that about 550 officers were working on Operation Doublet in May 2013. Running though them is repeated mentions of the fact that many in authority believed that the girls had brought the abuse on themselves. 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. A SURVIVOR of a Rotherham grooming gang says she knew all along a teenager was posing as a "fake" victim of sexual abuse. The vile group exploited girls as young as 13 and were initially given sentences ranging from four to 19 years. The review acknowledged that police officers might have discriminatory attitudes towards the victims, that the victims were interviewed by detectives without training in child exploitation and no strategy when victims returned to their abusers. This kind of institutional neglect of a whole sector of society must never happen again and we need programmes like Three Girls to remind us.. [18] Among the incidents recorded by the police were a 15-year-old victim too drunk to recall being raped by 20 men, one after the other; and another victim so drunk that she vomited over the side of the bed as she was being raped by two men. A decision has also yet to be made on whether two of the men, Adil Khan and Qari Abdul Rauf, will be deported back to Pakistan after they appealed against an original ruling. The tribunal had heard how all three were liable to be deprived of UK citizenship and deported as they also held Pakistani nationality, and then-home secretary Theresa May ruled it would be "conducive to the public good". As a responsible publication the M.E.Ns editors respected this request from senior detectives at GMP and eventually our story was published a few months later. [25][26][27] A report by the deputy children's commissioner in 2012 said that 33% of child sex abuse by gangs in Britain was committed by British Asians, where Asians are 7% of the population, but concluded that it was "irresponsible" to dwell on the data. The taxi driver was said in court to have taken over as the main trafficker of the girls. Now they werent prepared to do that. The hearing was adjourned with a decision on deportation expected later this year. A key member of the team was Detective Constable Maggie Oliver whose task was to convince the victims to speak to the police. 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.