A gang of mainly Asian men who plied young girls with alcohol and drugs before sexually abusing them have been found guilty of a series of crimes. 8 men had gone on trial accused of a catalogue of offences alleged to have occurred in Rochdale over several years in the mid 2000s. Two girls were abused in the town both girls were passed around by the grooming gang and treated as ‘mere objects’ for them to ‘use, abuse, humiliate then discard’, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
The crimes only came to light in 2015 after one victim, now aged in her 30s, told how she’d been ‘abused daily’. She claimed they would be ‘feeding me alcohol and drugs… and pass me on to their friends.”
After three months of free tax payer funded defence the trial came to an end, five men where jailed Mohammed Ghani, Insar Hussain, Jahn Shahid Ghani, Martin Rhodes and Ali Raza Hussain Kasmi 3 were cleared of all wrongdoing. Ikhlaq Yousef, Aftar Khan and Mohammed Iqbal were discharged from the dock.
Prosecutors said the men exploited the ‘young, vulnerable and damaged children’. He said not all of the men knew each other, but that the gang was ‘centred’ around 38-year-old Mohammed Ghani, known as ‘Gunny’.
“The men would provide the girls vodka, drugs and apparent affection in order to persuade them that they were genuinely liked by the men, and not just being used for sex,” prosecutor Neil Usher said. Girl A went on to be sexually abused over a period of years.
She believed she was in a ‘genuine relationship’ with Ghani, who would ‘offer her out’ to his friends for sex. Ghani would tell her that he’d ‘love her even more if she did that for him’.
When she refused to have sex with a man named ‘Doc’ she was called a ‘bitch,’ and a ‘slag’ and thrown out of a car.
Prosecutor Neil Usher @ Trial
Jahn Shahid Ghani, Ghani’s brother, was accused of giving drugs to both complainants before sexually abusing them. Insar Hussain, a friend of Mohammed Ghani, sexually abused her ‘a lot’, Girl A said. Martin Rhodes denied rape but admitted sexually abusing both complainants.
Jahn Shahid Ghani was the only defendant to give evidence at the trial. He admitted having sex with both girls but denied wrongdoing, claiming he thought Girl A was 18 and Girl B was 19 at the time.
After the hearing, Sarah Jackson, assistant chief constable at GMP, paid tribute to the bravery of both victims. She said: “These convictions are a testament to the true resilience of the victims and survivors who, thankfully, felt able to trust Greater Manchester Police, and have the confidence in the criminal justice system to support prosecutions. They demonstrated such bravery in testifying against these offenders on their journey to justice.
“This result is long-awaited – we are truly thankful to the victims and survivors for their continued patience and engagement, as we followed due process to ensure sound prosecutions. We understand that CSE (child sexual exploitation) can often have a lifelong impact on those affected – as such, specialist services will continue to provide them with care for as long as they need.”
She said the convictions followed an eight year investigation and is first of five ‘cohorts’ of charges under Operation Lytton. ACC Jackson added: “These convictions are also a significant milestone on our continuing journey to improve investigations into non-recent child sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester.
Sarah Jackson, assistant chief constable at GMP @ After Trial
“Whilst we have had every confidence in the operating model of the Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team team since its launch in 2021, we know those to whom we are accountable have been keen to see further judicial outcomes. Victims, survivors and members of the public have continued assurance that, whilst investigations into non-recent CSE are complex and can take some time, GMP and Rochdale Council are ready to respond, and that the victim-led, suspect-focussed approach, taken in this case and others, yields results in terms of justice for victims, survivors, offenders, and communities.”
Sharon Hubber, Rochdale Borough Council’s director of children’s services, said: “These were sickening crimes committed against two vulnerable young girls, whose strength and determination was instrumental in bringing this case forward.
“Operation Lytton, launched in 2015, is part of continuing efforts between ourselves, the police and other partner organisations to identify and prosecute as many perpetrators of non-recent child sexual abuse as possible, while supporting victims and survivors.
“We remain committed to that work and will continue to give our support where it is needed. As an organisation, we have made huge changes to the way we support children who are at risk of, or who are victims of, sexual exploitation.
Sharon Hubber, Rochdale Borough Council’s director of children’s services @ Hold Them To It
“The service which is delivered today to support these children is very different to the service which was delivered in the past. This includes an even stronger emphasis on the child, which is supported by a dedicated multi agency team with specialist skills. A recent Ofsted inspection highlighted that children and young people subject to child sexual exploitation receive an effective service from our multi-agency team.”
Frances Killeen, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West’s Complex Casework Unit, said: “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 CPS worked closely with Greater Manchester Police and other agencies to build a strong case to put before the court which has enabled a jury to come to this decision.
“I would like to thank the two victims for coming forward and supporting a prosecution. I hope they can find some comfort in knowing their abusers will finally face the consequences of their actions. The CPS is determined to ensure justice for as many sexual abuse survivors as possible.”
The unanimous verdicts in full:
Cleared of all wrongdoing
- Ikhlaq Yousef, 38, of Stanley Street, Rochdale, was found not guilty of two counts of indecency with a child, two counts of rape, two counts of having penetrative sexual activity with a child, and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
- Aftar Khan, 34, of Sparth Bottoms Road, Rochdale, was found not guilty of three counts of rape, three counts of indecency with a child and two counts of having penetrative sexual activity with a child.
- Mohammed Iqbal, 67, of Gainsborough Drive, Rochdale, was found not guilty of two counts of paying for sexual services of a girl under the age of 18.
The Rochdale Grooming Gang 2023
- Mohammed Ghani, 38, of Bamford Way, Rochdale, was found guilty of five counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child. He was found not guilty of ten counts of rape, one count of having sexual intercourse with a child, two counts of indecency with a child, one count of penetrative sexual activity with a child and two counts of buggery.
- Jahn Shahid Ghani, 50, of Whitworth Road, Rochdale, was found guilty of six counts of penetrative sexual activity and one count of causing a child to engage in sexual activity. He was found not guilty of eight counts of rape and two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.
- Insar Hussain, 36, of Bishop Street, Rochdale, was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of having penetrative sexual activity with a child. He was found not guilty of six counts of rape, two counts of having sexual intercourse with a child, three counts of indecency with a child, one count of having penetrative sexual activity with a child and one count of trafficking a person for sexual exploitation
- Martin Rhodes, 39, of Dinmore Avenue, Blackpool, was found not guilty of two counts of rape. He previously pleaded guilty to two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.
- Ali Raza Hussain Kasmi, 36, of Brotherod Hall Road, Rochdale, was found guilty of one count of rape and two counts of indecency with a child. He was found not guilty of one count of rape and two counts of penetrative sexual activity with a child.
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