Seven Rochdale Men Convicted for Historic Child Exploitation

Seven men have been convicted of multiple historic sexual exploitation offenses against two vulnerable white teenage girls in Rochdale, northern England, in a case spanning from 2001 to 2006. The men, mostly of South Asian descent, including market stallholders and taxi drivers, groomed the girls by providing drugs, alcohol, food, and shelter before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse in various locations like squalid flats and cars. The victims, both with deeply troubled home lives, bravely testified during the four-month trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, which was part of Operation Lytton investigating non-recent child sexual exploitation. Three defendants, including Mohammed Zahid, known as 'Boss Man,' were found guilty of numerous charges including rape and indecency with a child; Zahid had a prior conviction related to a similar grooming case. One defendant, Kasir Bashir, absconded while on bail before the trial began and remains wanted by police. The case has reignited national discussions about the systemic failures of social services and community oversight in protecting vulnerable children from such abuse.