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Seven men have been convicted for sexually exploiting two vulnerable girls in Rochdale between 2001 and 2006, as part of Operation Lytton. They were found guilty of a total of 50 offences, including repeated rape and indecency with a child, following a lengthy trial at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court.
The defendants, aged between 39 and 67, included market stallholders and taxi drivers. They groomed the girls—referred to as Girl A and Girl B—by offering drugs, alcohol, and shelter, then subjected them to years of abuse in squalid conditions. One girl was reportedly called a “prostitute” by social services as early as age 10.
Notable facts:
• Mohammed Zahid (64) was previously convicted in 2016.
• Kasir Bashir fled before the trial but was apprehended.
• This marks one of several ongoing trials under Operation Lytton, which has now implicated 37 suspects with more hearings to come.
Greater Manchester Police and Crown Prosecution Service emphasized the bravery of the survivors and acknowledged systemic failures by social services and law enforcement.
What Happens Next?
• The convicted men are expected to be sentenced soon; sentencing updates will follow.
• Additional prosecutions remain in progress under Operation Lytton.
• Renewed calls have emerged for reform in the institutional response to grooming exploitation.
If you’d like more detail on the individual defendants, sentencing outcomes, or broader context of grooming gang cases in the UK, I can dive deeper.
Convictions
• Seven men were found guilty of 50 offences including rape, indecency with a child, and sexual assault.
• The crimes took place between 2001 and 2006 in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
• The trial was held at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.
Victims
• Two victims, known as Girl A and Girl B, were targeted from as young as age 10.
• The girls were vulnerable, living in care or in unstable homes, and were groomed with alcohol, drugs, food, and accommodation.
• One girl was wrongly labelled a “prostitute” by authorities when she was a child.
The Offenders
• The men, aged between 39 and 67, included taxi drivers, market stall workers, and others from the local area.
• Mohammed Zahid was already convicted in a separate case in 2016.
• One defendant, Kasir Bashir, initially fled before trial but was later caught and brought to justice.
Operation Lytton
• This was part of Operation Lytton, a large-scale investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rochdale.
• So far, 37 suspects have been identified, with more prosecutions expected.
Institutional Failures
• The case highlighted serious failings by social services and police who ignored early warnings.
• Authorities admitted they let the victims down by not taking them seriously.
Response
• The Crown Prosecution Service and Greater Manchester Police praised the survivors for their bravery.
• Campaigners are now calling for urgent reforms in how institutions handle grooming and exploitation.
Conclusion
The conviction of seven men in the Rochdale grooming case marks a long-overdue step toward justice for the victims, who endured years of horrific abuse while institutions failed to act. The case has once again exposed deep-rooted systemic failures in policing and social care, where vulnerable children were not believed or protected. While Operation Lytton continues to uncover more suspects, this verdict sends a powerful message that those who exploit the vulnerable will be held accountable—no matter how much time has passed. True justice, however, will only be achieved when victims are not just heard, but protected from the very beginning.
Attached is a news article regarding Rochdale grooming gang convicted
Article written and configured by Christopher Stanley
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