After being found guilty of raping and trafficking children, three men were sentenced to prison and ordered for deportation. However, parents were shocked when they soon spotted the men walking down the street as free men.
For decades, Rochdale has been a hub for Pakistani grooming gangs, which mainly target young white girls for sex trafficking. The city has been hit with numerous scandals regarding intentional inaction by law enforcement for fear of appearing racist. Despite police finally disbanding multiple sex rings, resulting in numerous convictions of foreign nationals, citizens are still battling for justice for their children.
For their part in a notorious child sex ring, Qari Abdul Rauf, Abdul Aziz, and Adil Khan were among nine Pakistani and Afghani men jailed for raping, abusing, and selling girls as young as 13 for sex, the BBC reports. The community was devastated when the “Rochdale 3” received only a few years behind bars for the unspeakable sexual abuse, drugging, and selling of an unknown number of children.
(Photo Credit: Greater Manchester Police)
Despite his involvement in the grooming gang, 51-year-old ringleader Qari Abdul Rauf was sentenced to 6 years in prison but was released after just 2 years and 6 months. Adil Khan, 50, was sentenced to 8 years but released in only 4. Likewise, 49-year-old Abdul Aziz, who also played a “leading role” in the grooming gang, was freed after only a few years in prison.
Despite the men being freed after serving just a fraction of their sentences, citizens of Rochdale had hope in the fact that the men were all ordered for deportation upon completing their jail sentences. However, many were shocked and outraged to see the child rapists back in town as if nothing happened.
According to The Sun, Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Qari Abdul Rauf has been spotted shopping around the city 6 years after he was ordered to be deported to Pakistan. The convicted child rapist was a free man after his early release from prison and returned to living a normal life in the same city where he helped establish a child sex ring.
Understandably, parents and community members are indignant that the men were released on good behavior but even more so that at least one has returned to the town where his victims live. Citizens demanded answers and action from Home Secretary Priti Patel, who vowed to deport the men after their sentences were up.
Patel immediately shifted the blame to Mayor Andy Burnham, accusing him and the Greater Manchester Police of failing to stop Rauf from returning to Rochdale. She claims she had requested a ban on the individuals from the area in order to prevent them from running into their victims.
Priti said, “Andy Burnham has failed the residents of greater Manchester. As mayor he should use all the levers at his disposal to keep his residents safe. It’s clear in this case, and with other failings in greater Manchester police, that instead of taking hard choices to protect victims, he has instead treated them with distain.”
Burnham also passed the buck, pointing the finger back at Patel. Sources close to the mayor say that he accused the Home Secretary of politicizing the victims of the Rochdale grooming gang.
The men have spent more than $2.8 million of taxpayer money to appeal their convictions and deportation orders. Disturbingly, this appeals process isn’t finished. Of course, the outcome matters very little when it isn’t even enforced.
A group of sick, evil men received a paltry sentence for destroying the lives of innocent young girls, and now they’re walking around as if nothing ever happened. The justice system grossly failed these girls, and it continues to do so.
Source: Tap Worthy Happenings
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