Daisy gave evidence at the Rochdale grooming trial; her testimony about the abuse she witnessed helped put men in prison. "[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. 2023 BBC. 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. Were told 84% of grooming gangs are Asian. The NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. Those failings allowed seven youngsters, and potentially dozens more later identified by police, to be exposed to a catalogue of horrific sex abuse at the hands of manipulative predators. The investigation into the sexual abuse of the girl had been reopened following the exposure of police failings. "But people can feel some sense of reassurance that we are now bringing more cases to court.". Nine men of mainly Pakistani. I push thoughts about the abuse out of my head. 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. 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. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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". 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. An independent report commissioned by Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims. ", "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. Read about our approach to external linking. Their treatment encompasses a range of catastrophic errors in one of the countrys most harrowing child sexual abuse scandals. The abuse then continued, with a number of men who she had not seen before joining in. Last month we met Daisy*, who found herself at the centre of the scandal all those years ago. But the consequences of what happened to her are still preventing her from moving on with her life. 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. There was a complete lack of understanding of the world in which they existed. She told me: It wasnt like a forced thing. Even when the authorities did recognise the problem, their slow reaction allowed the abusers to carry on exploiting their victims for years. It was like a casual, Oh, bring your friends. She was a vulnerable child, being sexually abused, controlled and in fear. [I] cant remember exactly what they said, but it was something along the lines of being a madam, she recalled. "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. One victim, a 15-year-old known as the Honey Monster, acted as a recruiter, procuring girls as young as 13 for the gang. 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. Police and social workers failed the girls who were "passed around for sex" by a gang of men, it said. [32] The inquiry issued its final report in November 2013. Following a trial at Liverpool Crown Court, nine men were convicted in May 2012. The scandal shocked the nation - and helped change the way the criminal justice system treats victims of grooming. 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. Rochdale grooming gang members could be deported to Pakistan; . Although police interviewed a total of 56 men on suspicion of abuse, only a handful were tried. FA Cup quarter-final draw in full as Manchester United and Man City discover opponents, Four Premier League sides remain in the competition, Manchester United vs West Ham LIVE highlights and reaction from FA Cup as Garnacho scores. I trusted police that I would be helped this time. She plans to become a social worker, partly due to the ordeal she suffered while still a vulnerable young girl. In The Betrayed Girls, they speak to survivors, . [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. I asked Amber what gave her the strength to give evidence to the police, after what she had gone through. [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. 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 (GMP). [24], The case raised a serious debate about whether the crimes were racially motivated. We were making referrals from 2004, very explicit referrals, referrals which absolutely highlighted for protective services that young people were incredibly vulnerable, she said. Speaking to BBC Five Live, Sir Peter Fahy, chief constable of Greater Manchester, denied his officers had failed to investigate allegations of rape made by underage girls before a decision was taken not to prosecute in 2008. She has forced the police and social services to apologise to her for their behaviour. But because of an obligation to disclose criminal convictions, she has been prevented from pursuing her chosen career. The patchy training of frontline staff was to blame for the way childrens social care responded to the victims, the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board (RBSCB) said in its review into child sexual exploitation after the trial. said in its review into child sexual exploitation after the trial. "[2][11] Shabir Ahmed's threatening behaviour and calling Judge Gerald Clifton a "racist bastard" resulted in him being banned from the court for the sentencing hearing. Id been used. Nine men were convicted, of whom eight were of British Pakistani origin and one was an Afghan asylum-seeker. She told me: So it didnt happen to anybody else. Operation Span was the investigation launched in December 2009 into allegations made against the individuals who were convicted in 2012, and others. But in court, she was portrayed by the prosecution and defence as an assistant pimp. Parents felt agencies "failed to work together", did not listen or keep them informed. 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. "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. [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? ", "Police 'sorry' over Rochdale child sex abuse failures", "This is what happened to Three Girls whistleblower Sara Rowbotham", "Nine men found guilty of sexually abusing vulnerable girls in Rochdale", "Senior judge slams lawyers for obstructing Rochdale child sex grooming gang deportation case", "Members of paedophile gang treated victims as 'worthless', "Gang To Be Sentenced Over Child Sex Crimes", "Profiles of Child Sex Abuse Gang Members", "Rochdale Grooming Scandal Whistleblower Defends Sarah Champion And Slams Austerity", "Rochdale child sex grooming case originally dropped", "Nazir Afzal: 'We tackled grooming gangs. Running though them is repeated mentions of the fact that many in authority believed that the girls had brought the abuse on themselves. [31], In late 2011, the Office of the Children's Commissioner began a two-year long inquiry into child sexual exploitation by street gangs. "I know they believed me, they said to me at the end that something should have been done.". Why has nothing happened to these men? "It made me feel like I was pretty. It was then she told police for the first time what was going on. [6] Sara Rowbotham, the sexual health worker who first recognised patterns of child abuse in the community and fought to bring these crimes to police attention, was made redundant in 2014. It's now 10 years since the start of the police investigation that led to the Rochdale grooming trial. She not only suffered at the time [of the abuse] but she continues to suffer because of the criminal records. 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.. Actress Maxine Peake starred in the series as Sara Rowbotham, the sexual health aid worker who first uncovered the patterns of severe abuse in the area, but struggled to bring it to the attention of authorities. Man United beat West Ham United in the FA Cup fifth round and here are how the players rated at Old Trafford. But not all. 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? Must demonstrate independence and competence in the duties on a variety of procedures. The grooming case seemed ripe for exploitation: all the girls were white, all the accused were Asian Muslim men, and they had displayed a searing contempt for their victims. Awaab's Law: What MPs said about crucial Bill as campaign clears major hurdle in Commons, Woman stabbed her husband twice after Queen's funeral because she was 'upset', Geraldine Parkin and her husband began to argue after the Queen's funeral, Police investigate Forest Bank prison worker over sex assault allegations, Volunteer water search teams offer to help trace missing Peter Baglin as 'social media detectives' emerge online, "It is very inappropriate and just fuels more speculation", Penthouse apartment in sought-after Trafford town with its own 360 degree rooftop terrace, Our Property of the Week, chosen by our MEN property journalist, is a three-bed apartment on the market for 400,000, MP holds 'urgent meeting' with Argos bosses after they announced planned closure of Heywood depot, Chris Clarkson says he 'disappointed and concerned' at the move announced by the catalogue store's owners Sainsbury's on Tuesday, Remains found by officers searching for Constance Marten and Mark Gordon's baby, This is an outcome that myself and many officers who have been part of this search had hoped would not happen" the detective leading the investigation said, Supreme Court to sit in Manchester for the first time next week, The court is usually based in central London. 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. One example mentioned was the issue of child protection for one of the victims, which was discussed in 40 meetings, without any record of police attendance. Girls aged between 13 and 15 were trafficked, prostituted, raped and assaulted by the gang. My name has been dragged through the mud. Torrance, CA. It formed a large part of the police investigation that became known as Operation Span. Just before the due date of her second baby, she was called to the family court, where an application was made to remove both children on the grounds that Amber was an abuser and a danger to children. 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. Without Ambers initial evidence there might never have been a trial at all. 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. The trial at Liverpool Crown Court in 2012 heard five girls - aged between 13 and 15 - were given alcohol, food and money in return for sex but there were times when violence was used. 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. [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. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigated Kabeer Hassan and another man, aged 59. [46], 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 of South Asian heritage. The perpetrators would pass the girls to their friends, often to settle a debt. [20], Four of the convicted, Shabir Ahmed, Adil Khan, Abdul Rauf and Abdul Aziz, who had dual British and Pakistani citizenships, were denaturalized (stripped of their British citizenship) by then Home Secretary Theresa May in order for them to be deported to Pakistan. Instead, when she became upset and disruptive, she was arrested and later convicted of disorderly behaviour. [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. 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. She later went on to positively identify a number of offenders, which enabled charges to be brought against them all. 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. "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. 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. Following the case in Rochdale similar cases of grooming and sexual abuse/exploitation of young girls came to light in various towns and cities across the UK. 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. Kabeer Hassan was sentenced to nine years for rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. 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. "It's not an excuse that's the reality of where we are. "[The police] messed up, not me. Her mother was not allowed to be with her during the interview, and there was no mention of an appropriate adult. In October 2010 the M.E.N. A second serious case review looked at a separate case involving a seventh girl. The ID parades were particularly gruelling for Amber, who did 12 in one day alone, correctly identifying 10 of her abusers. Career Track: Leadership. 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. "Why have I still got a criminal record? ", 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. Of where we are was the investigation launched in December 2009 into allegations made against the who... Her the strength to give evidence to the police, after what she had gone through total. Charges to be with her during the interview, and adults concerned about a on! The nation - and helped change the way the criminal records support to children on 1111... 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