Girl, 12, raped after police ignored appeal for help, damning Oldham grooming report finds

20 June 2022, 13:24 | Updated: 20 June 2022, 13:50

Police and local authorities failed to protect a 12-year-old girl from profound abuse in Oldham, but there was no cover up by authorities, an independent review found.

The report detailed how a girl referred to only as 'Sophie' went to the police station in 2006 to report she had been raped by an Asian man.

The 202-page review suggested that Greater Manchester Police (GMP) and Oldham Council should apologise publicly to Sophie for their failings.

The police allegedly told her to return when she was "not drunk". When she left the police station, she was taken away in a car, where she was first raped in the vehicle then taken to a house and sexually abused multiple times by five different men. She was 12 years old at the time.

The independent review was penned by renowned childcare expert Malcolm Newsam, and Gary Ridgeway, a former detective superintendent with Cambridgeshire Police.

It was found that there were serious failings and "significant missed opportunities" to protect her and put in place appropriate arrangements, including a multi-agency strategy meeting and joint police and children’s social care investigation.

It was revealed that the chairperson of the Home Affairs Select Committee raised Sophie's case with Oldham Council, where a senior officer reviewed her file and came to the conclusion that there was “very little if anything to support … allegations of a failures to protect” in an internal email, which was branded as 'bad judgement' on the part of the senior officer.

But while it was found that Sophie was let down badly by authorities, there was no evidence of a deliberate cover up.

Read more: Report finds 'extensive failures' in tackling sexual exploitation of children by gangs

The report delved into allegations that shisha bars were known for being regular haunts for young girls known to be sexually exploited, and identified that although many had closed down by 2013, and no ongoing concerns were reported.

It was also found that there was no evidence of widespread exploitation of children in residential settings in Oldham, but some children in these homes were being exposed to child sexual exploitation.

Taxi companies were also put under the spotlight, and the report found that there was no evidence councillors or senior management sought to cover up their role, but there were multiple allegations against drivers, and of at least two of the cases presented to the council's licensing panel should have resulted in the revocation of one driver's license, and police officers failed to provide sufficient details of the other driver.

The committee however, issued licenses to local taxi drivers who committed serious sexual offences against children, but this was attributed to unrobust procedure being in place.

The report also laid out how serial abuser Shabir Ahmed, notorious for his role as ringleader in the Rochdale grooming gang, worked for Oldham Council for nearly 20 years, despite having multiple allegations against him about sexual abuse of children and a subsequent arrest, GMP did not inform his employer.

Ahmed subsequently received a 22-year sentence in jail.

In response to the review, Manchester Metropolitan Mayor Andy Burnham said: “This report continues the process of shining a spotlight on past failures in Greater Manchester.

"Whilst difficult to read, it has identified a number of wrongs that need to be put right. There were serious failings and victims were let down, particularly Sophie. Whilst there was no evidence of a cover-up, we must not flinch from acknowledging shortcomings."

He added: "I ask all public servants in Greater Manchester to read this report and its findings and consider what more we must do to strengthen our approach to child sexual exploitation. I will also fully support any actions to prosecute those responsible for these abhorrent crimes and hold to account those whose behaviour fell short of what we require.”

GMP Chief Constable Stephen Watson apologised to everyone affected by the events documented in the report, and vowed to meet with Sophie to apologise to her in person.

He said in a statement: "Our actions fell far short of the help that they had every right to expect and were unacceptable. I am sorry for the hurt and on-going trauma they have suffered because of what happened to them.

“I intend to meet directly with Sophie and those that have been supporting her through this very difficult time and I welcome being able to apologise to her in person."

Investigations into former senior GMP officers conducted by police watchdogs are ongoing.

Maggie Oliver, a former GMP detective said: "Another day, yet another report about the failures of a police force to protect the most vulnerable in our society, even when there is irrefutable evidence to prosecute offenders and safeguard children.

"This report yet again clearly evidences catastrophic failings by the force and their repeated attempts to cover up and hide these failings both from the victims and from the public they serve, and that is extremely worrying."