Latest news with #groominggang
Times
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
Rochdale grooming gang leaders may finally be deported to Pakistan
Pakistan may finally take back two grooming gang ringleaders if the UK restores direct flights between the two countries, officials from the country's foreign office have said. Ministers have been attempting to persuade Pakistan to drop its block on the deportation of Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan, two of the worst offenders in the Rochdale grooming gangs. They are among at least seven of nine members of the Rochdale grooming gang who remain living in the UK. Rauf and Khan held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality after being found guilty of being members of the gang. A judge ordered both men to be deported to Pakistan nearly a decade ago but both men renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before a court appeal against the Home Office order.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Starmer should quit over grooming gang scandal, says survivor
Sir Keir Starmer should quit as Prime Minister over his failings around the grooming gang scandal, a campaigning survivor has said. Sammy Woodhouse, who helped expose the Rotherham abuse scandal, said she was disgusted by Sir Keir's conduct in recent months, adding that any politician who had rejected calls for a national inquiry should resign. Ms Woodhouse was just 14 years old when she was groomed and raped by 24-year-old Arshad Hussain, who was the leader of a child exploitation gang. She eventually spoke about her ordeal publicly and her testimony helped bring about Prof Jay's inquiry, which revealed that at least 1,400 children had been abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. Her abuser was later jailed for 35 years and she became a leading campaigner fighting to expose the national grooming gang scandal. Speaking to the Planet Normal podcast, Ms Woodhouse told Allison Pearson of her anger at the way the Prime Minister had initially dismissed the need for a national inquiry and had accused those in support of jumping on a far-Right bandwagon. She said: 'Well, I'm not far-Right and I'm not jumping on a bandwagon. He is just a coward. At the end of the day we're talking about children being groomed, abused, raped, tortured, trafficked, murdered, impregnated, criminalised. 'We are talking about the most heinous crimes that could ever happen, and he wants to just throw these stupid comments in, that we're far-Right and racist, it's absolutely disgusting. 'I don't think he should be prime minister. People are asking me: 'Do you want an apology from him?' Well, no, I don't want an apology. I want a resignation. 'All these politicians that voted no to an inquiry should not be politicians. It's absolutely disgusting that they still are. I think they've just shown their true colours.' Ms Woodhouse said her abuser and rapist believed he was untouchable because people in authority were frightened of being perceived as racist or Islamophobic. She said: 'I was never treated as a victim. I was treated as his mistress, as his girlfriend, and as though, you know, the whole thing was consensual. 'Pretty much all the children were treated like that. If you look at my files, he was invited to medical appointments.' She said: 'In my own files it shows that an anti-racism coordinator was actually attending my meetings.' She also alleged that one of the police officers investigating her case – who was later killed – had bought drugs from her abuser. Ms Woodhouse told the podcast that the Government should ensure that any convicted rapists or child abusers who hold dual citizenship are deported once they have served their sentence. She said: 'I think we have a very weak government, and we have people – and I think it's probably worse now than what it was back in my day, as a child – that don't want to upset the Pakistani Muslim community. 'Now, I don't care what race you are, what religion you are, what gender you are, if you are raping children, you should be prosecuted. And if you're not from this country, get 'em out.'
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Rochdale grooming gang 'cannot be deported - because Pakistan refuses to take them'
Rochdale grooming gang ringleaders reportedly cannot be deported because Pakistan has relinquished their citizenship and will not take them back. Politicians and members of the Pakistani government are believed to have been engaged in 'high-level talks' to allow Qari Abdul Rauf, 55, and Adil Khan, 54, to be deported. The two, who are among the worst grooming offenders in Britain, were originally told they would be sent back to the country after being part of a gang convicted of a catalogue of serious sex offences against young girls in 2012. Despite both being told they would be deported, and then losing appeals in 2018, the pair remain in the UK. Although sources previously suggested progress was being made between the UK and Pakistan on the matter, it is reported that officials from the south Asian country have said it would be 'extremely difficult' to take the dangerous duo back. They also told the Telegraph there was 'no basis' to accept the pair back into Pakistan as they had renounced their citizenship. However, interior ministry sources have said 'progress' could be made if the UK were to take part in talks. They also suggested that, while direct flights via its national airline PIA to the UK were suspended, deportation was 'not feasible'. UK officials said that PIA flights, which had been paused due to safety concerns, had not been raised in discussions, according to The Telegraph. It comes after a damning review into the grooming gang scandal found councils, police forces, and the Home Office repeatedly 'shied away' from dealing 'uncomfortable' questions about the ethnicity of rapists preying on young girls. The architect of the bombshell grooming gangs review, Baroness Casey, previously condemned 'do-gooders' who ignored ethnic factors for fear of being branded racist. She vented fury at the failure to tackle the issues over a decade, saying she was 'raging' on behalf of the victims. Speaking following the publication of her report, the Whitehall troubleshooter revealed she had found the word 'Pakistani' Tippexed out of a child sex abuse file. Father-of-five Rauf and Khan were jailed in 2012 after heading the notorious Rochdale grooming gang which included nine Asian men, who sexually assaulted 47 girls. Some victims were as young as 12. In 2018 the Home Office emerged victorious after a court of appeal ruled the duo as well as another member of the gang, Abdul Aziz, were to be deported after removing their British citizenship. Rauf and Khan attempted to avoid deportation to their home country by relinquishing their citizenship. Baroness Casey vented fury at the failure to tackle the issues over a decade, saying she was 'raging' on behalf of the victims Before the 2018 ruling, Aziz had ripped up his passport, so was allowed to stay in the UK as the Government could not make him stateless as per international law. A person cannot relinquish their citizenship in the UK if they are not a citizen of another state - a loophole the grooming gang duo attempted to exploit by destroying their Pakistani passports. Foreign secretary David Lammy has been at the helm of discussions with Pakistan on the matter, as both he and Home Office ministers are understood to be 'working very hard' to strike an agreement on Rauf and Khan's deportation. Faith minister Lord Khan who has strong connections to Pakistan is also understood to be involved in talks. Several Pakistanis involved in grooming gangs have been deported including, Rotherham grooming gang member, Khurram Javed, 42, who was sentenced to two years behind bars; Nayyar Tazeem, 34, who was handed a five years prison sentence for grooming and seven sexual assaults; and Rochdale sex offender Kashif Mahmood, 37, who was jailed for two years and seven months. A Home Office spokesman said it would do 'everything in our power' to deport foreign nationals who commit 'heinous' crimes in the UK. 'The UK and Pakistan are working in partnership on shared migration and return priorities. Both countries recognise and respect our common obligations to return those with no right to remain in our respective countries,' he said. The Department of Transport confirmed to the Telegraph that an application for Pakistan's national airline to be taken off the UK safety list, so direct flights to the UK could happen, was still being considered.
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Lord Hermer refused to give grooming gang criminals tougher sentences
Lord Hermer refused to review 'unduly lenient' sentences given to four members of a West Yorkshire grooming gang, The Telegraph can reveal. In January, it emerged that Amreaz Asghar, Perwaz Asghar, Mohammed Din and Zehroon Razak had been jailed for sex offences against a teenage girl in Keighley. Three of the men were convicted of rape, while one committed two indecent assaults. One was jailed for only four and a half years, while another received just 14 years for 11 counts of rape. The sentences were condemned as 'weak' and 'grossly inadequate' by Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, and Robbie Moore, the local Tory MP. But The Telegraph can disclose that, when asked to look again at the cases, Lord Hermer's office decided not to refer them to the Court of Appeal to review. The revelations have raised fresh questions about the Attorney General's judgment after it emerged that he also declined to review 'unduly lenient' sentences given to a rapist, a paedophile and a terrorist fundraiser, despite signing off on the prosecution of Lucy Connolly. Mr Jenrick said: 'These sentences are pitiful. For a perpetrator to be sentenced for just one year per rape is an insult to the victim. It's outrageous that the Attorney General didn't refer these sentences as unduly lenient.' Richard Tice, the deputy leader of Reform UK, said: 'Lord Hermer appears to be soft on child sex offenders, soft on protecting British girls and soft on standing up for British values, as he helped give away the Chagos Islands.' It comes after Sir Keir Starmer was forced to announce a national inquiry into the historic grooming gangs scandal after repeatedly rejecting demands from senior Tories, campaign groups and victims. In England and Wales, members of the public can ask the Attorney General to re-examine a sentence handed down by a Crown Court if they believe it to be 'unduly lenient'. He may then refer the decision to the Court of Appeal, which can keep the sentence the same, increase it, or issue guidance for future cases. Lord Hermer's office decided not to use this power to review the jail terms handed to Amreaz Asghar, Perwaz Asghar, Din and Razak, who were all convicted of historic sex offences against a teenage girl that took place in the 1990s. Their trial concluded in October 2023, but the details were only released this year when reporting restrictions were lifted. Records from the Attorney General's office suggest their sentences were handed down in July last year, shortly after Lord Hermer was appointed. Din, from Keighley, was convicted of 11 counts of rape and imprisoned for 14 years, an average of one year and three months per charge. Amreaz Asghar and Razak, also from Keighley, were both convicted of rape and jailed for four and a half years and six and a half years, respectively. Perwaz Asghar, from Nottingham, was sentenced to six and a half years in prison for two indecent assaults. With the exception of Din, who was convicted of raping two girls, all the offences were committed against one teenager in the Keighley area. The victims were aged between 13 and 16 at the time. While it decided not to review those four decisions, the Attorney General's office did challenge the 'unduly lenient' sentences handed to three other men from the same grooming gang. It referred the cases of Ibrar Hussain and Imtiaz and Fayaz Ahmed, who were all convicted of raping one of the girls, to the Court of Appeal. Their jail terms were subsequently increased to 10 or 11 years each. Mr Jenrick and Mr Moore had both piled pressure on Lord Hermer to appeal against the sentences, warning that the 'weak' punishments risked eroding faith in the justice system. It is unclear when the Attorney General's office decided to refer or not refer each case to the Court of Appeal. Members of the public have 28 days after a sentence is handed down to request a review. In the cases of Amreaz Asghar, Perwaz Asghar, Din and Razak, the decision was given as 'not referred'. This means the sentences were deemed by the Attorney General's office not to meet the 'unduly lenient' threshold set by the Court of Appeal. For a punishment to pass that test, it must fall 'outside the range of sentences which the judge, applying his mind to all the relevant factors, could reasonably consider appropriate'. An 'unduly lenient' sentence would have to arise from an error of principle on the judge's behalf, for which there is a high bar, and not merely a disagreement over their approach. At the time the original sentences were revealed, Vicky Greenbank, of Bradford District Police, said: 'The abuse both girls endured robbed them of their childhood, and I hope seeing these men sentenced for these horrendous offences will give them justice and some closure. 'I hope this sends a clear message that, regardless of how long ago these offences may have happened, we will pursue every avenue to get justice.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Louise Casey criticises Tories for politicising her grooming gangs report
Update: Date: 2025-06-17T08:17:25.000Z Title: Louise Casey Content: Good morning. After the Home Office yesterday published 's audit of the grooming gang scandal, none of the political parties at Westminster seriously challenged any of her conclusions, or recommendations. But, of course, that does not mean there was consensus. As reported here yesterday, an almighty blame game commenced (or resumed, to be more accurate). In an interview on Newsnight last night, Casey said she was 'disappointed' by the way her report was being politicised and criticised the Conservatives in particular. Asked what she felt about the 'politicisation' of her report, Casey replied: I'm disappointed by it, to put it mildly. I really hoped – and hope still – that the report is so clear, it's so straightforward. We need to change some laws. We need to do a national criminal investigation. We need to get on with the national inquiry with local footprint in it. And ideally, wouldn't it be great if everybody came behind that and just backed it and got on with it? Asked what she felt about the proceedings in the Commons yesterday, Casey said: I just felt, dare I say it, I felt the opposition could have just been a bit, 'Yes, we will all come together behind you.' Maybe there's still time to do that. I think it's just so important that they do. It almost doesn't matter right now, does it, what political party people are part of. We've identified there's a problem, it's been a problem there a long time, and it's about time we drew a line in the sand. There does not seem much chance that Kemi Badenoch will take any notice. She has scheduled a press conference today and, judging by her X feed last night, she intends to celebrate what she perceives as a victory for her campaigning. The 10 most recent posts on her feed are either tweets or retweets about the grooming gang scandal. This is the one she has pinned. This national inquiry is a hard-won victory for the brave survivors who refused to be silenced — who gave up their anonymity to expose the institutions that failed them. Labour fought it every step of the way. They voted against it. Mocked campaigners. Smeared them. Branded it a 'far-right bandwagon' and a 'dog whistle.' Now they're pretending they supported it all along? Disgraceful. Their hand was forced. Our job now is to make sure this inquiry delivers justice for every survivor. No more delays. Here is the agenda for the day. 9.30am: Angela Rayner, deputy prime minister, chairs cabinet. Keir Starmer is still in Canada at the G7 summit. 10.30am: , the crossbench peer and former civil servant, gives evidence to the Commons home affairs committee about her grooming gangs report published yesterday. 11am: Kemi Badenoch holds a press conference. Noon: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. 1pm: John Swinney, Scotland's first minister, gives a speech on independence at the Scotland 2050 conference in Edinburgh. Anas Sarwar, the Scottish Labour leader, is speaking at 2.10pm. Early afternoon (UK time): Starmer takes questions from British print journalists and broadcasters at the G7 summit. Late afternoon: MPs debate amendments to the crime and policing bill relating to abortion. They will vote at 7pm. If you want to contact me, please post a message below the line when comments are open (normally between 10am and 3pm at the moment), or message me on social media. I can't read all the messages BTL, but if you put 'Andrew' in a message aimed at me, I am more likely to see it because I search for posts containing that word. If you want to flag something up urgently, it is best to use social media. You can reach me on Bluesky at @ The Guardian has given up posting from its official accounts on X, but individual Guardian journalists are there, I still have my account, and if you message me there at @AndrewSparrow, I will see it and respond if necessary. I find it very helpful when readers point out mistakes, even minor typos. No error is too small to correct. And I find your questions very interesting too. I can't promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either BTL or sometimes in the blog.
