Doubted then vindicated, Andrew Norfolk was peerless
Rotherham whistleblower Jayne Senior has endured countless painful conversations with me. Across many years, we have reflected on cases of brutal sexual exploitation and explored cover-ups, bullying and brutal political scheming at the expense of children battling abuse. But the first time I heard her cry was when she phoned to share the devastating news that Andrew Norfolk had died.
At the height of the crisis, Jayne passed Norfolk boxes full of key documents exposing the scandal of mass exploitation in Rotherham. When police and the council leadership of the South Yorkshire town were seeking to punish anyone who spoke out, Andrew was the lone voice that heard her and ensured the truth was revealed.
When reports of roaming sex abuse gangs made up of predominantly Pakistani men first started circulating in the 2000s, the bulk of the outrage came from the BNP, the far-right party that was soaring in the north west, and Labour MP Ann Cryer, who was derided by party grandees as a racist for sharing parents' concerns in Keighley.
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North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Seven men convicted of sexual exploitation of two teenage girls in Rochdale
The defendants preyed on the vulnerabilities of the victims to groom them as 'sex slaves' from the age of 13 on various dates in the Greater Manchester town between 2001 and 2006. Both girls had 'deeply troubled home lives' and were given drugs, alcohol, cigarette, places to stay and people to be with, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Soon after they were expected to have sex 'whenever and wherever' the defendants and other men wanted in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. Jurors deliberated for three weeks before delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday. Three of the abusers, Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Kasir Bashir, 50, – all born in Pakistan – were stallholders on the town's indoor market. Father-of-three Zahid – known as Boss Man – gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to both complainants and also money, alcohol and food in return for the expectation of regular sex with him and his friends. In 2016, Zahid was jailed for five years in an earlier grooming gang case after he engaged in sexual activity in 2006 with a 15-year-old girl who he met when she visited his stall to buy tights for school. Bashir did not attend the current trial as jurors were ordered not to speculate why but it can be revealed that he absconded while on bail before the trial got under way. It can also be reported that co-defendants Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41, were remanded in custody with their bail revoked in January before the jury was sworn in. Police received intelligence that the three Rochdale-born taxi drivers were planning to leave the UK and had already paid a deposit for their transport, the court heard. All three denied the accusation but Judge Jonathan Seely said the court was not prepared to take a risk that they too would abscond. A seventh defendant, Pakistani-born Roheez Khan, 39, also featured in another previous Rochdale grooming trial in 2013 when he was one of five men convicted of sexually exploiting a 'profoundly vulnerable' 15-year-old girl in 2008 and 2009. Khan was jailed for six-and-a-half years for engaging in sexual activity with a child and witness intimidation. Opening the prosecution case in January, Rossano Scamardella KC said Rochdale had been 'blighted' by child sexual exploitation and that one of the two complainants, Girl A, was abused by many other Asian men. Girl A told the jury she could have been targeted by more than 200 offenders as her phone number was swapped but said 'there was that many it was hard to keep count'. She told local children's services in 2004 that she was 'hanging around' with groups of older men, drinking and taking cannabis, the court heard. Giving evidence, Girl B said she was living in a local children's home when she was preyed on by Zahid, Ahmed and Bashir. She said she presumed various agencies knew what was going on as police regularly picked her up after social workers labelled her a 'prostitute'. Girl B told the hearing she had since read her file held by Rochdale social services which she said stated she had been selling herself for sex from the age of 10. Both complainants denied claims from defence barristers that they fabricated the allegations to secure compensation. Zahid, of, Station Road, Crumpsall, was convicted of raping Girl A and Girl B, who did not know each other. Jurors also found him guilty of offences of indecency with a child and procuring a child to have sex. Ahmed, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, and Bashir, of Napier Street East, Oldham, were convicted of multiple counts of rape and indecency with a child, in relation to Girl B. Shahzad, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, Akram, of Manley Road, Rochdale, Hussain, of New Field Close, Rochdale, and Khan, of Athole Street, Rochdale, were convicted of multiple counts of rape against Girl A. Roheez Khan was found guilty of a single count of rape against Girl A. During the trial the prosecution offered no evidence against an eight defendant, Arfan Khan, 41, of Rochdale, who was cleared of various sexual offences. All the perpetrators were prosecuted as part of Operation Lytton, an ongoing investigation since 2015 by Greater Manchester Police into historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale. A total of 37 individuals have been charged so far, with five more trials scheduled to take place from September onwards. Judge Seely thanked the jurors for 'giving up a very substantial chunk of their lives'. He said: 'You have had to deal with a case, the facts of which undoubtedly can be described as harrowing, very harrowing, for anyone who has heard them. 'All of us have noticed the extraordinary care and dedication you have given to trying this case.' The judge told the defendants they faced 'lengthy prison sentences' as he remanded them all in custody. Sentencing of the men, including Bashir in his absence, will take place on a date to be fixed. Following verdicts, Detective Superintendent Alan Clitherow, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with and we didn't. 'The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable. 'We have made comprehensive apologies for that. We're not perfect but we are very much improving now on how we manage these investigations. 'We have got a dedicated central team, we have got multi-agency teams that work out on districts. So, we are now light years away from where we were at that time. 'But the simple fact is that we did make mistakes. We didn't act on information we should have but we have learnt from that.' Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker said: 'I know that our past failings have meant there are people who doubt the police's commitment today to putting grooming gangs behind bars where they belong. Let me be clear – time is no barrier to justice, and we are actively working with dozens of survivors on numerous investigations to ensure no offender gets away with this. When you are ready, we will listen. 'Our dedicated child sexual exploitation major investigations team has almost 100 investigators working every day to listen to victims and to bring cases to court. Every town, city and borough in Greater Manchester has a dedicated multi-agency safeguarding team that shares information and investigates all reports to protect children from harm. 'We're light years ahead of where we were, and we are totally focused on listening to survivors and continuing to further improve on our best practices which are now well embedded.' Liz Fell, specialist prosecutor for the CPS's organised child sexual abuse unit, said: 'This case has been incredibly complex and challenging, but thanks to the close collaboration with Greater Manchester Police, we were able to build a compelling case to present to the court. The jury saw through the defendants and delivered the justice these victims deserve. 'These convictions send a very clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement colleagues, will relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.'
Graziadaily
2 hours ago
- Graziadaily
A History Making Vote On Abortion Is Happening Next Week – This Is What You Need To Know
On Tuesday 17th June, MPs will face a historic vote on amendments to the Crime and Policing Bill that seek to decriminalise abortion. There are two different amendments on the cards, the NC20 amendment proposed by Labour MP Stella Creasy and the NC1 amendment proposed by fellow Labour MP Tonia Antoniazzi. MPs will only vote on one of these amendments, depending on which has most support ahead of the vote on Tuesday. If either of the amendments are passed it will mark the biggest overhaul to abortion law for 50 years. As MPs prepare to cast this historic vote, we've broken down the differences in the two amendments, and what they mean for women. Right now, abortions can take place in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales. However, they have to be approved by two doctors, who must agree having the baby would pose a greater risk to the woman's physical or mental health than a termination. Abortions were illegal before the introduction of the 1967 Abortion Act, which initially allowed them to take place up to 28 weeks. This was reduced to 24 weeks in 1990. Abortions after 24 weeks are allowed only if: the woman's life is in danger there is a severe fetal abnormality the woman is at risk of grave physical and mental injury This is the amendment proposed by Stella Creasey, which would make accessing an abortion a human right. It seeks to decriminalise abortion up to 24 weeks. It would also ensure that late-term abortions outside the Abortion Act did not result in prison sentences. This topic made headlines last year when Bethany Cox, 22, was cleared over abortion charges when prosecutors offered no evidence against her. She was the sixth woman in Great Britain in a year to be tried for illegal abortion, ie, a termination after the 24-week legal limit. Creasy believes the amendment will bring the rest of the UK into line with Northern Ireland, where abortion was decriminalised in 2019. 'Our proposal explicitly leaves in place the well-established time limit under which you can access an abortion,' Creasy said. 'It removes the threat of criminal prosecution for abortion because it is a healthcare matter.' She added: 'Abortion law is incredibly complex. It governs 250,000 women's healthcare every single year. Because of that, it is essential that any huge change to abortion law is properly considered. That means involvement with providers, medical bodies, regulators – and proper debate time in parliament.' The amendment put forward by MP Tonia Antoniazzi also seeks to decriminalise abortion at any stage by a woman acting in relation to her own pregnancy, ending the threat of investigation or imprisonment. However, it does not seek to make abortion a human right. Rather than seeking to create a new framework, Antoniazzi's amendment retains the existing abortion law. This more cautious approach is backed by The British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS) who say the more wide-ranging changes laid out in the NC20 amendment need more time to be debated. Antoniazzi said: 'We've seen a sharp rise in the number of women and girls facing criminal investigations following pregnancy loss and abortion,' she said. 'It's just wrong to put women in this situation, to put them into the criminal justice system, because this is not a criminal law issue, this is essentially a healthcare matter.' She added: 'I find it unbelievable that in the last five years, around 100 women have been investigated by the police. It's just wrong. It's a waste of taxpayers' money, it's a waste of the judiciary's time, and it's not in the public interest. Therefore, the law has to change.' Only MPs can vote on the amendment but it is a free vote, so they are allowed to vote according to their 'personal conscience'. If you'd like to encourage your MP to support either of these amendments, you can find their contact details at
Powys County Times
2 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Seven men convicted of sexual exploitation of two teenage girls in Rochdale
Seven Asian men have been convicted of the sexual exploitation of two white teenage schoolgirls in Rochdale. The defendants preyed on the vulnerabilities of the victims to groom them as 'sex slaves' from the age of 13 on various dates in the Greater Manchester town between 2001 and 2006. Both girls had 'deeply troubled home lives' and were given drugs, alcohol, cigarette, places to stay and people to be with, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard. Soon after they were expected to have sex 'whenever and wherever' the defendants and other men wanted in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. Jurors deliberated for three weeks before delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday. Three of the abusers, Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Kasir Bashir, 50, – all born in Pakistan – were stallholders on the town's indoor market. Father-of-three Zahid – known as Boss Man – gave free underwear from his lingerie stall to both complainants and also money, alcohol and food in return for the expectation of regular sex with him and his friends. In 2016, Zahid was jailed for five years in an earlier grooming gang case after he engaged in sexual activity in 2006 with a 15-year-old girl who he met when she visited his stall to buy tights for school. Bashir did not attend the current trial as jurors were ordered not to speculate why but it can be revealed that he absconded while on bail before the trial got under way. It can also be reported that co-defendants Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41, were remanded in custody with their bail revoked in January before the jury was sworn in. Police received intelligence that the three Rochdale-born taxi drivers were planning to leave the UK and had already paid a deposit for their transport, the court heard. All three denied the accusation but Judge Jonathan Seely said the court was not prepared to take a risk that they too would abscond. A seventh defendant, Pakistani-born Roheez Khan, 39, also featured in another previous Rochdale grooming trial in 2013 when he was one of five men convicted of sexually exploiting a 'profoundly vulnerable' 15-year-old girl in 2008 and 2009. Khan was jailed for six-and-a-half years for engaging in sexual activity with a child and witness intimidation. Opening the prosecution case in January, Rossano Scamardella KC said Rochdale had been 'blighted' by child sexual exploitation and that one of the two complainants, Girl A, was abused by many other Asian men. Girl A told the jury she could have been targeted by more than 200 offenders as her phone number was swapped but said 'there was that many it was hard to keep count'. She told local children's services in 2004 that she was 'hanging around' with groups of older men, drinking and taking cannabis, the court heard. Giving evidence, Girl B said she was living in a local children's home when she was preyed on by Zahid, Ahmed and Bashir. She said she presumed various agencies knew what was going on as police regularly picked her up after social workers labelled her a 'prostitute'. Girl B told the hearing she had since read her file held by Rochdale social services which she said stated she had been selling herself for sex from the age of 10. Both complainants denied claims from defence barristers that they fabricated the allegations to secure compensation. Zahid, of, Station Road, Crumpsall, was convicted of raping Girl A and Girl B, who did not know each other. Jurors also found him guilty of offences of indecency with a child and procuring a child to have sex. Ahmed, of Corona Avenue, Oldham, and Bashir, of Napier Street East, Oldham, were convicted of multiple counts of rape and indecency with a child, in relation to Girl B. Shahzad, of Beswicke Royds Street, Rochdale, Akram, of Manley Road, Rochdale, Hussain, of New Field Close, Rochdale, and Khan, of Athole Street, Rochdale, were convicted of multiple counts of rape against Girl A. Roheez Khan was found guilty of a single count of rape against Girl A. During the trial the prosecution offered no evidence against an eight defendant, Arfan Khan, 41, of Rochdale, who was cleared of various sexual offences. All the perpetrators were prosecuted as part of Operation Lytton, an ongoing investigation since 2015 by Greater Manchester Police into historical child sexual exploitation in Rochdale. A total of 37 individuals have been charged so far, with five more trials scheduled to take place from September onwards. Judge Seely thanked the jurors for 'giving up a very substantial chunk of their lives'. He said: 'You have had to deal with a case, the facts of which undoubtedly can be described as harrowing, very harrowing, for anyone who has heard them. 'All of us have noticed the extraordinary care and dedication you have given to trying this case.' The judge told the defendants they faced 'lengthy prison sentences' as he remanded them all in custody. Sentencing of the men, including Bashir in his absence, will take place on a date to be fixed. Following verdicts, Detective Superintendent Alan Clitherow, of Greater Manchester Police, said: 'There was information at the time that police and other agencies could, and should, have done something with and we didn't. 'The way those victims were dealt with at the time is indefensible and inexcusable. 'We have made comprehensive apologies for that. We're not perfect but we are very much improving now on how we manage these investigations. 'We have got a dedicated central team, we have got multi-agency teams that work out on districts. So, we are now light years away from where we were at that time. 'But the simple fact is that we did make mistakes. We didn't act on information we should have but we have learnt from that.'
