The trial of Mohammed Ghani, 38, Insar Hussain, 38, Jahn Shahid Ghani, 50, Martin Rhodes, 39, and Ali Razza Hussain Kazmi, 35, recently took place at Minshull Street Crown Court where the jury found the individuals guilty of child sexual abuse offences against two minor girls (Girl A and Girl B) in the Rochdale area between the period of 2002 and 2006.

It is alleged that Girl A and B were passed around by the grooming gang who treated them as “mere objects.” Girl A and Girl B were said to have been supplied with alcohol and drugs before being sexually abused, with one of the victims noting that the abuse was taking place on a daily basis.

A senior crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service stated that “these men committed appalling offences for their own sexual gratification, with no thought for the lasting effects their offending would have on their victims.”

The sentencing of the convicted individuals is scheduled to take place at a later date at Minshull Street Crown Court.

Although the convictions arguably provide some form of justice for the victims, the case yet again highlights the failings of the social services and the police in preventing similar cases of abuse from reoccurring and protecting children at risk, as noted by one of the defence barristers, Rochdale had become “synonymous with grooming.”

Girl A is said to have first reported the abuse to the police in 2015 and, as noted by Maggie Oliver, a former GMP officer who left the force due to the failings of the police in dealing with victims in Rochdale, the system needs to change, as it has taken 8 years for the victims to get justice after reporting the abuse.

Farleys represents one of the victims in this case and continues to receive enquiries from a number of individuals that have been victim to grooming gangs across the country, which suggests that the problem is more widespread than initially thought when notorious cases of grooming gangs first came to light.

Farleys have a dedicated abuse team who deal with many cases against the Local Authority on behalf of survivors of sexual abuse. If you would like to speak to an experienced member of our abuse team in confidence, please call our dedicated abuse line on 0330 134 6430 or send your enquiry through our online contact form.