Seven men jailed for raping and abusing girls in Rochdale

Seven men have been sentenced for their role in the sexual abuse of two vulnerable children in Rochdale.  

The Crown Prosecution Service’s dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 66, Kasir Bashir, 50, Roheez Khan, 39, Mohammed Shahzad, 43, Nisar Hussain, 41, and Naheem Akram, 48, following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police.

They were convicted of multiple sex offences against two girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006.  

Today, at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court they have received sentences ranging from 12 to 35 years' imprisonment.

Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS’ Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: "Seven men who groomed and raped two vulnerable teenage girls in Rochdale and the surrounding area two decades ago have been sentenced.

"At the centre of this case are two victims who, as children, were repeatedly abused, passed around and discarded by men who cruelly preyed on their vulnerabilities and exploited their difficult circumstances for their own sexual gratification.

"Both victims have shown an enormous amount of strength and dignity throughout what has been a lengthy and challenging legal process.

"The impact of child sexual abuse extends far beyond the immediate offending. Both women not only gave evidence during the trial but have assisted the Court further by providing Victim Personal Statements describing in tragic detail the trauma they have carried for decades, and the impact this offending has had on all parts of their lives.  

"Our Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, in collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, was able to use extensive evidence to build a comprehensive picture of the defendant’s offending to present to a jury who found them guilty and delivered the justice these women deserve. 

"All children have the right to be safe and protected. I hope the outcome of this case will encourage anyone who may be in a similar position to come forward to report their abuse to the police, knowing we will do all we can to prosecute where there is sufficient evidence to do so and offer support throughout the process."

The offending

The abuse started when each of the girls were aged just 13.

Both victims were from vulnerable backgrounds and were known to social services. One girl was living in the care system during the offending period. They were groomed with gifts and money and often plied with alcohol or drugs before being assaulted or raped.

Ahmed and Bashir abused one victim, and Khan, Shahzad, Hussain, and Akram abused the other. Zahid abused both girls. 

The court heard that both victims, who were not known to each other, worked informally at a stall Zahid ran in Rochdale Market. He was also known to them as ‘Boss’ and ‘Bossman’.

Zahid gave the girls jobs, gifts and money, before he began sexually abusing and raping them.

One of the victims was taken to addresses by Zahid where they were plied with alcohol and expected to have unprotected sex with other men, including Ahmed, Bashir, and Khan.

Shahzad was a taxi driver who met the other victim when she was 13. Shahzad befriended her, texting her often and giving her lifts. After about a month, he started to regularly pick her up in his taxi and ply her with alcohol, before raping her.

She was driven to remote locations and passed around amongst taxi drivers who knew Shahzad, including Akram, and Hussain, who sexually abused and raped her.  

Building the case

Working in close collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, prosecutors were able to build a compelling case against all seven defendants.

The victims' evidence was central to the prosecution. Despite the two women not knowing each other, their accounts corroborated one another and provided strikingly similar descriptions of abuse by Zahid, who had exploited both victims separately.

During the four-month trial, the prosecution presented a meticulously constructed case that drew together multiple strands of evidence which supported the victim’s accounts. Historical documents, employment records, and vehicle identification data from 2001 to 2006 were carefully analysed to establish timelines, and link the defendants to specific locations and dates of offending.

Despite the defendants' denials throughout, the strength of the evidence and the credibility of the victims’ testimony resulted in the jury returning unanimous verdicts which found the defendants guilty of 50 counts, including 30 rape charges.

Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock is the senior investigating officer on the case. He said: “I must start by paying tribute to the two survivors in this case. They have been pivotal in bringing these abusers to long-awaited justice by bravely giving painful and difficult testimony during a five-month trial. Without them this would not be possible and today is about them.

“These seven men preyed on vulnerability for their own depraved sexual gain. The men abused, degraded and then discarded the victims when they were just children. This horrific abuse knew no limits, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and court case. They had a callous disregard for these women when they were girls and continue to show no remorse for their unforgivable actions all these years later.

“The team of dedicated investigators on this case have put thousands of hours into securing this outcome. They’ve supported the victims throughout to piece together all the evidence. Bringing child abusers to justice is why we work so tirelessly day-in day-out, and I am so pleased for the victims that we have been able to help deliver this justice for them.”

To deal with the most complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated national Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit where Specialist Prosecutors use their expertise and experience to build strong cases and increase the number of successful prosecutions.