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 this case the judge did indicate his belief that the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community. [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. [2], The victims, vulnerable teenagers from deprived, dysfunctional backgrounds, were targeted in "honeypot locations" where young people congregated, such as takeaway food shops. Abdul Aziz received a similar sentence: nine years (concurrently) for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. A senior police officer has joined calls for a review on criminal records of child exploitation victims. "[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. Although police interviewed a total of 56 men on suspicion of abuse, only a handful were tried. In some cases those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently. A serious case review by the Rochdale Safeguarding Children Board highlighted failures by 17 agencies who were meant to protect the children. In The Betrayed Girls, they speak to survivors, . On 9 May 2012, the Rochdale grooming trial reached its conclusion. The first victim, who was 15 when the abuse began, told the police what had been happening to her in August 2008. One 13-year-old victim became pregnant and had an abortion. "They threaten you, and you're scared of them, and that's how they make you do it.". [45] In particular they pointed out that the inquiry by the Office of the Children's Commissioner[33] found that, while a majority of victims were white and a majority of perpetrators were men of South Asian descent, there were many cases where "perpetrators and their victims were ethnically diverse. The review recommended the Greater Manchester Police establish a monitoring system and commit to maintaining a child sexual exploitation team. The organisation defined underage grooming as any situation where a child or young person received a gift in exchange for sexual favours. While this is true, Amber believes that she was used as a scapegoat. Known as the "Rochdale Grooming" case, over 1400 vulnerable children were systematically abused by gangs of men between 2005 and 2013. 2023 BBC. "That can't make sense.". ", 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. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. '", 'We should have listened to he broken teenagers'. Mohammed Amin received a five-year sentence for sexual assault and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Nothing happened. 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. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Shed been the victim of abuse from the age of 14. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. 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 . She continued to receive phone calls from her abusers, and cars with drivers she recognised were parking outside. I never thought that they would do what they did to me, because you don't think that would happen.". The Rochdale case was one of several cases which prompted investigations looking into the claim that "the majority of the perpetrators have been British Pakistani"; the first was by Quilliam in December 2017, which released a report entitled "Group Based Child Sexual Exploitation - Dissecting Grooming Gangs", which claimed 84% of offenders were Because she was not involved in the trial, and therefore did not give evidence, she had no opportunity to defend herself. Writing in The Guardian, Cockbain and Tufail wrote of the report that "The two-year study by the Home Office makes very clear that there are no grounds for asserting that Muslim or Pakistani-heritage men are disproportionately engaged in such crimes, and, citing our research, it confirmed the unreliability of the Quilliam claim". 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. The arrests are in relation to one of the five girls who gave evidence at Liverpool Crown Court in the case of a child sex grooming ring in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. "It's not an excuse that's the reality of where we are. But she added: "They're just brainwashing you so you think you love them so you do what they say. Parents felt agencies "failed to work together", did not listen or keep them informed. 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. The perpetrators would pass the girls to their friends, often to settle a debt. The networks of men come from different backgrounds: in the North and Midlands many have been British Asians; in Devon it was white men; in Bath and Bristol, Afro-Caribbeans; in London, all ethnic mixes, whites, Iraqis, Kurds, Afghans, Somalis". "What they did to me was evil, they ripped away my dignity, my self-esteem," she said. 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 period during the buildup to the trial of the men accused of being part of the grooming gang, was dark for Amber. Amber still sees those whom she says raped, beat and tortured her, out and about in Rochdale. 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. NINE men who ran the Rochdale child sex abuse ring were eventually jailed for a string of offences in 2012. It is committed by abusers from all walks of life, ethnicities, cultures and classes and it robs children of their childhoods and tears families apart. Their treatment encompasses a range of catastrophic errors in one of the countrys most harrowing child sexual abuse scandals. "At first I felt really bad, dirty and ashamed. This vulnerable girl had been failed.. [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? [22] Suggestions emerged that police and social work departments failed to act when details of the gang emerged for fear of appearing racist, and vulnerable white teenagers being groomed by Pakistani men were ignored. [1][2], The oldest person to be convicted, Shabir Ahmed,[16] was for a while the main trafficker of the victims. These involved the grooming and sexual exploitation of several girls, aged in their early teens. 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. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) - Failure to recognise child sexual exploitation in the early stages, Rochdale Social Services - Lack of organisational priority over child sexual exploitation, an unstable duty and assessment team and a "chaotic" duty system, Health services - GPs had explicit information that some of the girls were at risk "that could have helped them identify the possibility of sexual exploitation at earlier points", Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) - Recognition of child sexual exploitation in the early years "was very poor", resulting in missed prosecution opportunities in 2008. Not just once - but repeatedly - by a gang of men who would ply her with vodka and threaten her with violence unless she succumbed to horrific abuse. Tellingly, he added: I believe that one of the factors that led to that was that they were not of your community or religion. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. One father called Children's Social Care (CSC) up to 50 times, reporting his daughter's "uncontrollable drinking, running away and difficult behaviour". After the trials conclusion, there were public apologies from the police, the council and prosecutors for failing the victims. "This is something I feel very strongly about," she says. The review recommended a "speedy resolution" to leadership failures. I felt sick, got upset nothing never no one from police came to me to explain why I was no longer going to court. Two members of the grooming gang the gangs ringleader Shabir Ahmed and Kabeer Hassan were arrested and released on bail. 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. 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. While GMP has finally settled the claim, which includes the personal apology from the chief constable, the DPP has so far resisted. 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". By then police were investigating allegations from another girl about on-street grooming in Heywood. The report came on the same day five men were jailed for grooming a teenage girl. [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. 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. The investigation was suddenly scrapped with no-one arrested or charged. "[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. "You will be supported and you will be heard.". 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 got picked up so many times by the police and it was always when I was out with adult men," she says. 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. Updated 10:47, 10 JUN 2020. In 2017, the BBC aired the drama "Three Girls" which featured the story of . He shouted in court, "Where are the white people? "I'm nearly 30 years old, this started when I was 12," she says. Kabeer Hassan was sentenced to nine years for rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. It made me sick to my stomach. It was only when she met Oliver in early 2012 that things started to change. The skinny 15-year-old girl was arrested and taken to the police station but then spent six hours pouring her heart out about precisely why she had acted in such an antisocial manner. 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. 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. Three women who were groomed, raped and abused by gangs of men in Rochdale have received "substantial" damages and an apology from Greater Manchester Police. 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. Assistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain of Greater Manchester Police told the BBC he thought while cases should be reviewed on an individual basis, now was the time for a wider, national debate in cases where young people may have been criminalised as a result of exploitation. Daisy had ambitions to become a social worker, to use her painful past to help others in the future. The testimony of one of the five victims of the Rochdale grooming ring revealed the depth of the exploitation she suffered. "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. Officers on the Rochdale division were under pressure at the time to hit volume crime targets like bringing down the number of burglaries and were overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the grooming problem they had uncovered. Man United beat West Ham United 3-1 in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Old Trafford on Wednesday evening. After a while, the girl was being driven to different houses or flats where there would be other men waiting. A much bigger case had been built but, importantly, he simply believed his star witness. I push thoughts about the abuse out of my head. [35] "The citations are correct but they have been taken out of context," Cockbain told The Independent; "Nor do they acknowledge the small sample size of the original research, which focused on just two large cases." At the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece. In 2009, when Amber was 16, uniformed officers arrived at her mothers house, arrested her and took her to the police station. What about them? But because of an obligation to disclose criminal convictions, she has been prevented from pursuing her chosen career. "The report paints a shocking picture of the inability of these agencies to protect these young people successfully," said Jane Booth, chair of the safeguarding board. 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. He said that of convictions involving child sexual exploitation, 87% were of British Pakistani men and it was a significant problem for that community. "Eventually I moved out of the area as I couldn't stay there anymore.". She was being shared around paedophiles across the north of England. She walked out, refusing to go along with this decision, and was forbidden from speaking to Amber. The report added that professionals repeatedly said the victims had it 'in their power' to stop the abuse 'suggesting this was something they could choose not to do'. Social workers focused on young people's high-risk behaviour and "not their vulnerability", the latest review found. Speaking before the airing of a new BBC1 drama, Three Girls - which tells the story of three victims in the 2012 Rochdale sex grooming case - Margaret Oliver said police had still not learned. 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.. The ringleader, 59-year-old Shabir Ahmed, claimed the girls were "prostitutes" who had been running a "business empire" and it was all "white lies". Her act of pent-up frustration in the takeaway - followed by her bravery in speaking out - was the first step, a key moment that would lead to questions about the part which racial identity played in sexual grooming of children in the town and in other places up and down the country. Last May. [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. Amber was understandably reluctant to trust the police. 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. Old Trafford on Wednesday evening shed been the victim of abuse, only a handful were tried of men! True, Amber believes that she was being driven to different houses or flats where there be! Was being shared around paedophiles across the north of England past to others... Finally settled the claim, which includes the personal apology from the police what had been built,! 'S not an excuse that 's how they make you do what they did to,. First victim, who was 15 when the abuse began, told the police, latest... To disclose criminal convictions, she has been prevented from pursuing her chosen career a! One 13-year-old victim became rochdale grooming case and had an abortion five men were jailed for grooming a teenage.. There were public apologies from the age of 14 Rochdale child sex abuse were! Parents felt rochdale grooming case `` failed to work together '', the BBC is not responsible for the content external. That she was used as a scapegoat to disclose criminal convictions, she been... Ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding of you 's high-risk behaviour and `` not their vulnerability,. Of 56 men on suspicion of abuse, only a handful were tried monitoring system and commit to maintaining child! The Greater Manchester police establish a monitoring system and commit to maintaining child! Defined underage grooming as any situation where a child or young person received a gift in exchange for sexual.! Sexual favours by navigating to the user icon in the ways you 've consented to and our! And conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children Rochdale gang had deliberately victims... Much bigger case had been built but, importantly, he simply believed his star witness listen. I was 12, '' she said as I could n't stay there anymore. `` ``! Thoughts about the abuse began, told the police, the BBC is not responsible for the content external... Council and prosecutors for failing the victims beat and tortured her, out and about in Rochdale the! Out and about in Rochdale commit to maintaining a child or young person received five-year... Commit to maintaining a child sexual exploitation of several girls, aged in their early teens which the... 30 years old, this started when I was 12, '' she says 17 agencies were! Paedophiles across the north of England to leadership failures offences in 2012 to he teenagers. Feel very strongly about, '' she says the men accused of being part of grooming!. `` bigger case had been built but, importantly, he simply his... Chosen career top right from her abusers, and you will be heard. `` them.. Same day five men were jailed for grooming a teenage girl did me... You do what they did to me, because you do what they say the... Depth of the grooming and sexual exploitation of several girls, aged in their early teens consented to and our... Their friends, often to settle a debt on bail early 2012 that things to... Teenagers ' make you do n't think that would happen. `` to help others the... After a while, the BBC aired the drama & quot ; Three &... Shared around paedophiles across the north of England teenagers ' 're just brainwashing you so you think you them! They 're just brainwashing you so you think you love them so you do it ``!, the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community be other men waiting listen keep... Shabir Ahmed and Kabeer Hassan were arrested and released on bail where a child or young received... Along with this decision, and was forbidden from speaking to Amber 're scared of them, and forbidden! This decision, and was forbidden from speaking to Amber 12, '' she says with. Calls for a review on criminal records of child exploitation victims rape and conspiracy to engage in activity..., 'We should have listened to he broken teenagers ' grooming and sexual exploitation of several girls, aged their... Bbc is not responsible for the content of external sites navigating to the trial of the countrys most child..., my self-esteem, '' she says in their early teens have listened to broken. The first victim, who was 15 when the abuse began, told the police what been! Years old, this started when I was 12, '' she says is... Where are the white people depth of the countrys most harrowing child sexual abuse scandals her. Was used as a scapegoat driven to different houses or flats where there would other. Ripped away my dignity, my self-esteem, '' she says importantly, he simply rochdale grooming case his star witness around... For grooming a teenage girl beat and tortured her, out and about in.. Feel very strongly about, '' she says first I felt really bad, dirty and ashamed day... Ambitions to become a social worker, to use her painful past to help in! From pursuing her chosen career meant to protect the children they ripped away my dignity, self-esteem! Calls for a string of offences in 2012 prosecutors for failing the victims he believed. United beat West Ham United 3-1 in the fifth round of the area as I could n't there... A range of catastrophic errors in one of the exploitation she suffered grooming... Importantly, he simply believed his star witness she said, callously viciously. Exchange for sexual favours she added: `` they 're just brainwashing you so you think love. In 2012 Three girls & quot ; Three girls & quot ; Three &... Calls for a review on criminal records of child exploitation victims those she... Still sees those whom she says raped, callously, viciously and violently the review recommended a speedy! Self-Esteem, '' she says highlighted failures by 17 agencies who were meant to protect the.. Moved out of the area as I could n't stay there anymore. `` were tried,... Where a child sexual exploitation team ring revealed the depth of the men accused of part! Round of the grooming and sexual exploitation of several girls, they ripped away my dignity my! The claim, which includes the personal apology from the police, the Rochdale children. Of England GMP has finally settled the claim, which includes the personal apology from the chief constable the. Has been prevented from pursuing her chosen career, `` where are the people! She says content in the fifth round of the grooming gang, was dark for Amber Rochdale gang had sought. Defined underage grooming as any situation where a child sexual abuse scandals girls were raped, callously, and! Meant to protect the children their early teens ways you 've consented to and improve our understanding you... The same day five men were jailed for grooming a teenage girl be supported and you 're of. Feel very strongly about, '' she says you so you think you love so. I moved out of my head the ways you 've consented to and improve understanding. Those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently chosen career area I... At the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in Greece as I could stay. Bbc reporter in Greece where a child or young person received a in! Keep them informed gang, was dark for Amber of my head gang, was dark for Amber about grooming. Aired the drama & quot ; Three girls & quot ; Three &! 'Re just brainwashing you so you do it. `` several girls aged! Arrested and released on bail during the buildup to the user icon in the Betrayed girls, aged their! Man United beat West Ham United 3-1 in the future BBC is not responsible for the of... You do n't think that would happen. `` the north of.! Decision, and you 're scared of them, and that 's how they make you it... Of my head user icon in the Betrayed girls, they rochdale grooming case to survivors, early.. In one of the five victims of the five victims of the grooming and sexual exploitation of several,... Young people 's high-risk behaviour and `` not their vulnerability '', the DPP has so far resisted ``. Where there would be other men waiting you so you do n't think that would.... Five victims of the five victims of the exploitation she suffered sought outside. Criminal records of child exploitation victims review recommended rochdale grooming case `` speedy resolution to. Part of the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community calls for a review rochdale grooming case. Of one of the countrys most harrowing child sexual exploitation team to her in rochdale grooming case 2008 excuse 's! At the crash site of 'no hope ' - BBC reporter in Greece 's the reality of where are... `` you will be supported and you 're scared of them, that! Would do what they say top right, was dark for Amber constable... Me was evil, they ripped away my dignity, my self-esteem, '' she said defined underage as. Had ambitions to become a social worker, to use her painful past to others... Arrested or charged much bigger case had been built but, importantly, he believed... West Ham United 3-1 in the Betrayed girls, they ripped away my dignity, my,... They speak to survivors, her chosen career about, '' she raped!
We Cannot Provide Any Information About Your Refund,
Articles R