Rochdale grooming gang members could be deported to Pakistan; . There was a "shocking" inability to protect seven vulnerable girls from sexual exploitation, a report into the Rochdale grooming case has said. The perpetrators would pass the girls to their friends, often to settle a debt. Were told 84% of grooming gangs are Asian. Even though she had been a victim, she was accused of being involved in the grooming. Mohammed Amin received a five-year sentence for sexual assault and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. 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. There was a "shocking" inability to protect seven vulnerable girls from sexual exploitation, a report into the Rochdale grooming case has said. They contend that clouding the issue by calling them "Asians" is unfair towards other groups and detrimental to a frank discussion. At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. ", "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. Id been used. When police were called to a report of a 15-year-old girl smashing up the Balti House takeaway in Heywood, they had no idea that the crime they had uncovered would become a national scandal. 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. 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. Grooming victim: "What they did to me was evil. [32] The inquiry issued its final report in November 2013. Willmer added: "We think this is the tip of the iceberg", although she cautioned against treating the matter as a race crime: "It's a criminal thing. Running though them is repeated mentions of the fact that many in authority believed that the girls had brought the abuse on themselves. "Lessons must be learnt from this report and measures implemented to ensure no other vulnerable children are treated as at fault. "[30], Tim Loughton, the Minister for Children and Families, said that while there was no evidence that ethnic communities condoned child sexual abuse, he was concerned that some had been slow to report it to the police, and urged police and social workers not to allow "political correctness around ethnicity" to hinder their work to apprehend such criminals. [36], In a BBC documentary investigating grooming young girls for sex by some Pakistani men, Imam Irfan Chishti from the Rochdale Council of Mosques deplored the practice, saying it was "very shocking to see fellow British Muslims brought to court for this kind of horrific offence. [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. Molly Windsor, Liv Hill and Ria Zmitrowicz feature as a trio of girls drawn into the frightening world of sexual exploitation. An independent report commissioned by Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims. Last Tuesday Amber, with two other victims of the Rochdale grooming gang, finally received an apology delivered personally by Stephen Watson, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police. One 13-year-old victim became pregnant and had an abortion. You have only got my kind here. I'm only a kid - why is it always me? [10] The gang worked to secure underage girls to rape and exploit.[11][12]. Nine men were convicted, of whom eight were of British Pakistani origin and one was an Afghan asylum-seeker. [52], In December 2013, the case review by Rochdale County was leaked, which highlighted findings from an internal police investigation. We need to remember and learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure they are not repeated. It was outrageous. "He then was saying all the things he had bought for me, and he wanted something back for it. 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 a disused hotel ballroom just off the M60 in Greater Manchester, she describes to us how the authorities knew she was at risk, but failed to stop the abuse. "Why have I still got a criminal record? On 9 May 2012, the Rochdale grooming trial reached its conclusion. The government would not comment on the Rochdale case but said it had deported more than 51,000 foreign national offenders since 2010. 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. Operation Span was the investigation launched in December 2009 into allegations made against the individuals who were convicted in 2012, and others. Rochdale grooming gang members could be deported after judges uphold ruling to strip them of British citizenship Khan, who also trafficked a 15-year-old girl to others, using violence when she. "This is something I feel very strongly about," she says. Nine men were convicted of being part of the child sexual exploitation ring, Nazir Afzal regrets that the CPS dropped the original grooming case, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. Amber still sees those whom she says raped, beat and tortured her, out and about in Rochdale. 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. "Our understanding [of these crimes] at the time wasn't as developed and our practice wasn't as improved as it is today. ", Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board, Wigan driver waits to find out if he will be spared a road ban after driving at almost 100mph on the motorway, Police issue appeal to trace missing girl from Stockport, Urgent police appeal to locate missing teenage girl not seen for over 24 hours, Constance Marten's baby found in Brighton woodland Met Police say, Bolton Wanderers player Kyle Dempsey faces possible jail term - court, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon: Body found in search for missing baby, Human error to blame for train crash - Greek PM, At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. But after a while it had been going on for so long and with so many different men, I didn't feel anything towards it anymore. In some cases those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently. Greater Manchester Police has been accused of 'blanking' three Rochdale grooming victims who have been trying to progress legal action against the force for over 18 months. [8] The victims, plied with drugs and alcohol, were passed around friends and family,[18] and taken to various locations in the north of England, including Rochdale, Oldham, Nelson, Bradford and Leeds. Craving love and attention, Amber was lured into a nightmare, subjected to repeated and often violent sexual abuse. Stephen Watson, chief constable of Greater Manchester police, made a personal apology to three of the Rochdale victims. The NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. "[40], Hindu and Sikh groups have objected to media use of the "Asian" description saying that the culprits were "almost always of Pakistani origin" and "Muslim". [5] The girls were mainly White British. Torrance, CA. But because of an obligation to disclose criminal convictions, she has been prevented from pursuing her chosen career. Without Ambers initial evidence there might never have been a trial at all. 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. UK News US News World News Weird News Real Life More Hopeful TeamDogs In Your Area. "[37][38] Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, accused elders of the Pakistani community of "burying their heads in the sand" on the matter of sexual grooming. [24], The case raised a serious debate about whether the crimes were racially motivated. Nine men from Rochdale and Oldham were sentenced for up to 19 years in prison in May 2012 after being convicted of offences including rape. 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. Adil Khan was sentenced to eight years for the same offences. 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. "The biggest issue to come out of this report is that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) were effectively discriminating against poor, white, working-class girls, so that's not about a failure to spot abuse, that is about actively ignoring abuse that was going on when it was brought to their attention," he said. [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. 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. [17] Abdul Aziz, a married father of three, took over from Shabir Ahmed as the main trafficker and was paid by various men to supply underage girls for sex. Five years later she won an apology and compensation from social services. 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. 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. The exposure of the grooming, sexual assault and trafficking of young girls in Rochdale was made public in 2012. 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). had learned about the investigation but after approaching GMP we were told to hold off until the victims had been spoken to. 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. "It's not an excuse that's the reality of where we are. 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. The men, she said, were friendly at first, simply chatting with the girls now and again in a takeaway shop. To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here. He said there was no doubt she was a victim of horrendous abuse and exploitation and he accepted that the police response "could and should have been better". A. It was only when she met Oliver in early 2012 that things started to change. Had bought for me, and others obligation to disclose criminal convictions, she was accused of involved. Hopeful TeamDogs in Your Area the government would not comment on the Rochdale case but said it had deported than. 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