In a pivotal judgment, the mastermind behind a notorious group that subjected two teenage girls to horrific rape and abuse in Rochdale, northern England, has been handed a 35-year prison sentence. This marks another significant step in Britain’s ongoing pursuit of justice for victims of decades-long exploitation by so-called ‘grooming gangs’.
Mohammed Zahid, aged 65, received his sentence alongside six accomplices. He exploited the girls from as young as 13, initially targeting them when they worked at his market stall.
According to prosecutors, Zahid lavished the victims with gifts and money before initiating a pattern of sexual abuse and rape. Between 2001 and 2006, the girls were repeatedly taken to various locations, including remote sites and different addresses, where they were given alcohol and coerced into sexual acts with a network of local market traders and taxi drivers.
Rochdale gained notoriety in the early 2010s as one of the first British towns exposed by investigative journalists as a center for child exploitation. This revelation ignited a national scandal, leading to extensive prosecutions and profound inquiries into the systemic failures that allowed these crimes to persist undetected for so long.
Similar to other cases across England, the men sentenced this week were predominantly of Pakistani descent. They employed what experts term the ‘boyfriend model,’ a predatory tactic where abusers gain the trust of vulnerable girls through gifts like food, alcohol, or cigarettes. Once a relationship of dependency was established, the victims were coerced into sexual activity with other men in the network.
The investigation into Zahid and his accomplices was spearheaded by a dedicated child sexual exploitation unit within the Greater Manchester Police, established in 2021. This unit’s efforts have been significant, contributing to a total of 32 offenders being jailed for a combined 474 years in Rochdale for grooming-related crimes across two major investigations. An additional twenty men are currently awaiting trial.
The pervasive issue of grooming gangs garnered international attention again in January, following a series of inflammatory and often inaccurate social media posts by billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk. This renewed public scrutiny ultimately prompted the government to launch a comprehensive national inquiry into the matter in June.
Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock, who spearheaded the complex investigation, emphasized that these convictions were only possible due to the ‘painful and difficult testimony’ bravely provided by the two victims throughout the four-month trial, during which all defendants maintained their innocence.
He stated, ‘The men abused, degraded, and then discarded these victims when they were merely children.’
One of the survivors, legally identified as ‘girl B’ to protect her identity, was present at the Manchester court during the sentencing. She delivered a powerful statement, revealing the profound ‘shame and guilt’ she had carried due to the abuse.
As reported by the BBC, she courageously urged other victims to step forward, sharing her personal experience: ‘The day I watched the verdicts changed my life. I instantly had a massive weight lifted off me.’
Prosecutors confirmed that both victims came from vulnerable backgrounds, were known to social services, and tragically, one was under the care system while enduring the abuse.
Zahid subjected both victims, who were unaware of each other, to rape. He transported them to various sites where, as prosecutors detailed, they were ‘plied with alcohol and expected to have unprotected sex with other men,’ including his co-defendants Mushtaq Ahmed (66), Kasir Bashir (50), and Roheez Khan (39).
Co-defendant Mohammed Shahzad, 43, a taxi driver, befriended the second victim when she was just 13. He offered her rides, then began raping her and driving her to remote locations for abuse by other taxi drivers, including Nisar Hussain (41) and Naheem Akram (48), who also received sentences this Friday.
A comprehensive report on grooming gangs, published in 2022 as part of the broader Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales, exposed ‘extensive failures’ by local councils and police. These systemic shortcomings resulted in victims being tragically mislabeled as ‘child prostitutes,’ while the perpetrators often escaped proper investigation or prosecution.
While many high-profile grooming gang cases have involved men of Pakistani or Muslim background, the report clarified that inadequate police data recording meant it was ‘impossible to know’ if any specific ethnic groups were truly overrepresented among abusers nationwide. Consequently, in June, the government committed to implementing the inquiry’s recommendation for police to meticulously record the ethnicity and nationality of all suspects in child sexual abuse and exploitation cases.
Another official audit, also released in June, highlighted numerous instances where organizations shied away from examining the potential roles of ethnicity or cultural factors, ‘for fear of appearing racist, raising community tensions or causing community cohesion problems.’
Sharon Hubber, Director of Children’s Services at Rochdale Borough Council, declared on Wednesday that the authority has ‘evolved significantly from its past state.’
She affirmed, ‘Today’s sentencing serves as a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment, alongside the Greater Manchester Police, to bring these perpetrators to justice, and our efforts will not cease here.’