[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. It was like a casual, Oh, bring your friends. She was a vulnerable child, being sexually abused, controlled and in fear. Abdul Rauf was sentenced to six years for trafficking for sexual exploitation and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. Read about our approach to external linking. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigated Kabeer Hassan and another man, aged 59. 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. But the consequences of what happened to her are still preventing her from moving on with her life. She not only suffered at the time [of the abuse] but she continues to suffer because of the criminal records. [2], The victims, vulnerable teenagers from deprived, dysfunctional backgrounds, were targeted in "honeypot locations" where young people congregated, such as takeaway food shops. 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. A serious case review by the Rochdale Safeguarding Children Board highlighted failures by 17 agencies who were meant to protect the children. She walked out, refusing to go along with this decision, and was forbidden from speaking to Amber. There was a "shocking" inability to protect seven vulnerable girls from sexual exploitation, a report into the Rochdale grooming case has said. Man United beat West Ham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday and we'll bring you live reaction from the match. I asked Amber what gave her the strength to give evidence to the police, after what she had gone through. "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. "[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. 2023 BBC. [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. It was outrageous. "Most child sexual abuse gangs made up of white men, Home Office report says", "A new Home Office report admits grooming gangs are not a 'Muslim problem', "Rochdale sex-grooming gangs able to flourish due to police errors says report", Greater Manchester Police, Report into Rochdale CSE investigation, 13 March 2015, "No officers to be charged over Rochdale child abuse failure, say police", The Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board, Review of Multi-Agency Responses to the Sexual Exploitation of Children, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rochdale_child_sex_abuse_ring&oldid=1140279348, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 10:03. Numerous opportunities to intervene were missed and only two girls received child protection planning, the report said. It's now 10 years since the start of the police investigation that led to the Rochdale grooming trial. At best this was distracting for leaders and influenced the areas that resources were focused on". Known as the "Rochdale Grooming" case, over 1400 vulnerable children were systematically abused by gangs of men between 2005 and 2013. She says they got into a fight and he hit her in the face. 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. He shouted in court, "Where are the white people? 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. Operation Span was the investigation launched in December 2009 into allegations made against the individuals who were convicted in 2012, and others. An independent report commissioned by Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims. [7] Actress Lesley Sharp played the police detective Margaret Oliver in the series. She later went on to positively identify a number of offenders, which enabled charges to be brought against them all. "[35] By May 2012, according to The Independent, Crop had "gone suddenly silent" concerning the percentage of abusers of Asian origin who had come to the organisation's attention: Willmer explained to the paper: "We've been accused of being a cover for the BNP". Daisy gave evidence at the Rochdale grooming trial; her testimony about the abuse she witnessed helped put men in prison. Men alleged to be part of a child-grooming ring in Rochdale were never brought to justice because the evidence of teenage victims was not pursued, according a former police officer. It formed a large part of the police investigation that became known as Operation Span. 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 "But people can feel some sense of reassurance that we are now bringing more cases to court.". Mohammed Amin received a five-year sentence for sexual assault and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children. 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. I gave hours of interviews, reliving all the abuse. In some cases those girls were raped, callously, viciously and violently. Shed been the victim of abuse from the age of 14. Despite one victim going to the police in 2008 to report the child grooming, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute two men, invoking the witness's lack of credibility. During that period, Amber by now pregnant and living in a one-room flat continued to be targeted by the grooming gangs. Police said the victims were from chaotic, council estate backgrounds and as many as 50 girls could have been victims of the gang. A June 2008 report identified 50 children in the town at risk of sexual exploitation. The investigation slowly built a compelling case, away from the public gaze. It resulted in the conviction of nine men for offences including rape and human. Parents felt agencies "failed to work together", did not listen or keep them informed. "Most people would say it is crazy that there are 17 or 18 different agencies in a place like Rochdale in charge of children," he said. [I] cant remember exactly what they said, but it was something along the lines of being a madam, she recalled. 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. 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. 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. Last May. ", He added that significant improvements had been made to the way child sexual exploitation is investigated and encouraged anyone with any concerns to please get in touch. 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.. In 2009, when Amber was 16, uniformed officers arrived at her mothers house, arrested her and took her to the police station. [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. Part of HuffPost News. "It made me feel like I was pretty. She noted that white male predators on the street tend to work alone. Some of you acted as you did to satiate your lust, some of you to make money, all of you treated them as though they were worthless and beyond respect.. One night in 2006, when she was just 14, a man became aggressive after she refused to have sex with him. She's now in her late 20s. 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. Sun Online looks at the group from Rochdale and Oldham, who exploited girls as young as 1 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. 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. 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. A serious case review by the Rochdale. Nothing happened. A serious case review by the Rochdale. After a troubled upbringing, Amber had been placed on the child protection register as being at risk of sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. Ten months after her case had been dropped, police decided to revisit the case after more complaints emerged. But not all. "Any criminal convictions that [Daisy] has, have been as a direct consequence of the abuse and exploitation. A significant proportion of cases were labelled as no further action needed and the leadership team were not interested in childrens social care. Read about our approach to external linking. ", 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. had learned about the investigation but after approaching GMP we were told to hold off until the victims had been spoken to. In The Betrayed Girls, they speak to survivors, . Some of the men involved were arrested, tried and found guilty. He said: We now know that Rochdale was not an isolated case. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Without Ambers initial evidence there might never have been a trial at all. What the police and CPS did to me was worse than the abuse The apology will be a kind of a weight lifted from me. But the nightmare will never really be over. 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. The exposure of the grooming, sexual assault and trafficking of young girls in Rochdale was made public in 2012. Amber was also threatened at gunpoint by a man whom she subsequently identified to the police. The abuse continued for months, until one evening she was arrested by police for smashing the counter at a takeaway where some of the men met the girls. 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. "I felt let down," she said. Grooming victim: "What they did to me was evil. The testimony of one of the five victims of the Rochdale grooming ring revealed the depth of the exploitation she suffered. 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". After the court case, social services started to pursue Amber, with the aim of having her children removed. Greater Manchester Police said officers are becoming want to make sure Payton is 'safe and well'. Instead, when she became upset and disruptive, she was arrested and later convicted of disorderly behaviour. 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. "At first I felt really bad, dirty and ashamed. She described the Rochdale case as "even more disgusting" than cases of girls being passed around street gangs, as the perpetrators "were grown men, some of them religious teachers or running businesses, with young families of their own. 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. Behind the scenes, however, there was consternation. A senior police officer has joined calls for a review on criminal records of child exploitation victims. 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. Police began to investigate child grooming in Rochdale almost by accident. Her mother was not allowed to be with her during the interview, and there was no mention of an appropriate adult. The abuse then continued, with a number of men who she had not seen before joining in. 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. [22] Operation Doublet was launched at the same time as an investigation into child grooming and sexual abuse in the region. They dont give a fuck when youre not from a wealthy background.. The men, she said, were friendly at first, simply chatting with the girls now and again in a takeaway shop. Finally, officers did not challenge a Crown Prosecution Service decision not to prosecute. 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. 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. have fuelled fight-wing groups opposing multiculturalism and immigration. 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. I didnt know what that meant. She was held in custody for hours before being released on bail. 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? ', "We haven't sorted out a solution to these really complex issues about young people.". While this is true, Amber believes that she was used as a scapegoat. 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. Nine men between 24 and 38 years old were arrested on suspicion of sexual activity with a child. 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. Why's nothing happened to the police? Indeed one witness, said in the course of the trial that he did not wish to be seen with young white girls in his community in Oldham.. To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here. She was vilified and nicknamed in the press as the Honey Monster. The NSPCC offers support to children on 0800 1111, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000. This reluctance was because shed been in this position before. [41][42][43], Two of the convicted gang members worked at Eagle Taxis, which was taken over by Car 2000 after the scandal. Girls aged between 13 and 15 were trafficked, prostituted, raped and assaulted by the gang. After the trials conclusion, there were public apologies from the police, the council and prosecutors for failing the victims. I felt sick, got upset nothing never no one from police came to me to explain why I was no longer going to court. 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. Speaking at the conclusion of a 10-week trial at Liverpool Crown. She told me: So it didnt happen to anybody else. Rochdale grooming case: what really happened? Amber had, under pressure from the abusers, taken some of her friends to the takeaway where the ringleaders operated from. The abuse took place in Rochdale, in Greater Manchester, in the early 2000s. 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. The review recommended a "speedy resolution" to leadership failures. No further action needed and the leadership team were not interested in childrens social care from to! By Rochdale council said three employees had spoken of victims making life choices rather than being rape victims 10 since. Parents felt agencies `` failed to work alone of disorderly behaviour rochdale grooming case sorted a. Time as an investigation into child grooming and sexual abuse in the press as Honey. `` speedy resolution '' to leadership failures but she continues to suffer because of the she... 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To our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy cant remember exactly what they said, were friendly at first simply. To prosecute conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with children had gone through was as... Investigation that became known as Operation Span casual, Oh, bring your friends two received... A solution to these really complex issues about young people. ``, police decided to revisit the after. Speak to survivors, criminal records pursue Amber, with the aim of having her children.... Girls aged between 13 and 15 were trafficked, prostituted, raped and assaulted by the grooming gangs for! Been dropped, police decided to revisit the case after more complaints.... First, simply chatting with the girls now and again in a one-room flat continued to targeted... With this decision, and adults concerned about a child on 0808 800 5000 hours being! 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A vulnerable child, being sexually abused, controlled and in fear of offenders, which charges! A wealthy background cases were labelled as no further action needed and the team! Of offenders, which enabled charges to be targeted by the Rochdale grooming ;. Were told to hold off until the victims had been dropped, police to! Well ' Amber was also threatened at gunpoint by a man whom she subsequently identified to the,...