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. UK News US News World News Weird News Real Life More Hopeful TeamDogs In Your Area. Ten months after her case had been dropped, police decided to revisit the case after more complaints emerged. There was a complete lack of appreciation of the world in which some of the girls lived - when in fact that should have framed every conversation . "You will be supported and you will be heard.". The dramatisation tells the story of three children who were victims in the scandal and stars Maxine Peake as sexual health worker Sara, who recorded and reported cases of child abuse for years. Rochdale grooming gang members could be deported to Pakistan; . [53], On 13 March 2015, Greater Manchester Police apologised for its failure to investigate child sexual exploitation allegations more thoroughly between 2008 and 2010. [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? Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, nine men were convicted in May 2012. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The testimony of one of the five victims of the Rochdale grooming ring revealed the depth of the exploitation she suffered. One delivered a takeaway to my house a few weeks back, she tells me. Nine men have each been sentenced to up to 25 years in jail for a catalogue of serious sexual offences against teenage girls in Rochdale, exposed following widespread media coverage of grooming. 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. But the situation changed and she was raped by one of the men. [5] The girls were mainly White British. He said the investigation was at "an extremely sensitive stage" and street grooming was the force's top priority, "a bigger priority than gun crime". But the consequences of what happened to her are still preventing her from moving on with her life. Speaking at the conclusion of a 10-week trial at Liverpool Crown. "It's not a normal relationship when your boyfriend is getting you to sleep with all his friends for money.". In 2017, the BBC aired the drama "Three Girls" which featured the story of . A chance to stop the gang was missed in 2008 and both the police and the CPS were forced to apologise for their failings. I think it's wrong that she be held back in this way.". Stephen Watson says force had lacked professional curiosity when it came to young victims of grooming gangs 19 Apr 2022 Rochdale victim: 'I was groomed at 14, then the courts came for my. Her mother was not allowed to be with her during the interview, and there was no mention of an appropriate adult. 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. [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. "It made me feel like I was pretty. May stated the revocations were "conducive to the public good". A Serious Case Review published in 2013 concluded that the authorities 'struggled to empathise' with the girls, partly because they were from poor backgrounds, giving them a 'skewed picture of their behaviour'. [10] The gang worked to secure underage girls to rape and exploit.[11][12]. Speaking at the conclusion of a 10-week trial at Liverpool Crown Court, the woman, who cannot be identified, said she was forced to have sex with up to five different men in a day, at least four times a week. 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. Pay Range: $54.58 - $88.09. Back in the police station, the girl who had just vandalised the takeaway provided a detailed account of the abuse and the perpetrators as well as evidence in the form of her underwear, which carried traces of one of her attackers' DNA. . As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Torrance, CA. Amber had, under pressure from the abusers, taken some of her friends to the takeaway where the ringleaders operated from. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. 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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. I asked Amber what gave her the strength to give evidence to the police, after what she had gone through. She said that seven officers had been served with misconduct notices, but no further disciplinary action would be taken against them. A much bigger case had been built but, importantly, he simply believed his star witness. While this is true, Amber believes that she was used as a scapegoat. I shouldve been helped, not punished.. Shabir Ahmed received the longest sentence, 19 years for rape, aiding and abetting a rape, sexual assault, trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Finally, she has been exonerated. One father called Children's Social Care (CSC) up to 50 times, reporting his daughter's "uncontrollable drinking, running away and difficult behaviour". Kabeer Hassan was sentenced to nine years for rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. News. Nazir Afzal, chief prosecutor in the North West - who overturned the original CPS decision not to prosecute over allegations of abuse in 2009 - said: "I absolutely accept that things didn't go well for us and other agencies. etween 2008 and 2010, a child abuse ring that came to be known as part of the grooming gang phenomenon operated in Rochdale. Posted: February 21, 2023. 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. Video, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, Harry and Meghan told to 'vacate' Frogmore Cottage, Fungus case forces Jack Daniels to halt construction, Rare Jurassic-era bug found at Arkansas Walmart, Ed Sheeran says wife developed tumour in pregnancy, China and Belarus call for peace in Ukraine, Dozens of girls treated after new Iran poisonings, Havana Syndrome unlikely to have hostile cause - US, Man survives 31 days in jungle by eating worms. "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 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 entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. An independent report commissioned by Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims. The review recommended the Greater Manchester Police establish a monitoring system and commit to maintaining a child sexual exploitation team. A victim of Rochdale grooming gangs has told the BBC that convictions she received as a teenager - for offences linked to the abuse she was suffering - have destroyed her hopes of a career. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. Afterwards, she told me: I went home, put it to the back of my mind to be honest. 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. [5], In March 2015, Greater Manchester Police apologised for its failure to investigate the child sexual exploitation allegations more thoroughly between 2008 and 2010. I'm only a kid - why is it always me? Rochdale grooming case: what really happened? 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. "I felt let down," she said. [16], The trial concluded in May 2012 with the nine convictions. Nine men of mainly Pakistani. Why the Rochdale 'grooming trial' wasn't about race Focusing on the ethnicity of the men convicted of child sex offences in Rochdale detracts from the real issue: this was ultimately about. Social workers told him she was "a child prostitute", and he accepted this "because he did not know that it was wrong", the review said. "[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. In some cases those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently. "I know they believed me, they said to me at the end that something should have been done.". Taxi drivers with nick-names like Car Zero and Master Aziz, a pillar of Rochdale's Pakistani community known as Tiger and a Muslim preacher were . VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. It resulted in the conviction of nine men for offences including rape and human. [24], The case raised a serious debate about whether the crimes were racially motivated. [2] One 13-year-old victim had an abortion after becoming pregnant. [7] A former Detective Constable who was investigating the grooming gangs, Margaret Oliver, resigned in 2012 in disgust of the handling of the cases by the police force and spoke out as a whistleblower to inform the public. Adil Khan was sentenced to eight years for the same offences. 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