Seven Rochdale Men Jailed 174 Years for Grooming, Rape of Two Girls

Seven men involved in a grooming gang in Rochdale were sentenced to a combined total of 174 years in prison for sexually abusing two vulnerable teenage girls between 2001 and 2006. Mohammed Zahid, the ringleader and market stallholder, received the longest sentence of 35 years for raping both girls and orchestrating abuse by others. The girls, identified as Girl A and Girl B, came from deeply troubled backgrounds and were manipulated with gifts, drugs, and alcohol before being sexually exploited repeatedly in various locations including flats, cars, and moors. Despite their courage in testifying, the abuse occurred under the watch of authorities who failed to protect them, leading to official apologies from Rochdale council and Greater Manchester Police. Other men, including taxi drivers and market traders, were sentenced to between 12 and 29 years for multiple counts of rape and indecency with children. One defendant, Kasir Bashir, fled before the trial and remains wanted by police.