Nine Rochdale child rapists found guilty – 40 others remain at large
AFTER 11 weeks of testimony at Liverpool Crown Court – in which the child victims of rape were forced by their callous attackers’ pleas of innocence to address the court – nine men have been found guilty of running a child sex grooming ring in Rochdale and Oldham.
Five girls gave evidence against the men who assaulted them between 2008 and 2010. Well, that’s what we know for certain. Only a fool who dare believe that was all these men did. They would have to be unlucky to have been found guilty of all of their crimes. It’s speculation the police are ready to dabble in, suggesting that the gang has as many as 47 victims.
The five girls who testified have saved others. They were brave.
But were all the men in this ring caught? Again, you’d need to be fool to think they have been. Any other victims must now be encouraged to step forward. Many men in Rochdale are resting uneasy tonight. These girls should be encouraged to go to the police.
The men are mostly of Pakistani origin. The victims are nearly all white (one girl is black). Did they abuse the girls because they were white? Yes, say some. No. They abused the girls because they were females, vulnerable and easy targets. Well, so say the police.
Det Chf Supt Mary Doyle, says the men are “pure evil”. But what, then, does that make the police, are they the white knights fighting the darkness? No. When one victim went to police in August 2008, the police did little. For eleven months the police investigated. For those eleven months the girl was abused. Two arrests were made. But the The Crown Prosecution Service said the girl was “not credible”. The men were released without charge. The CPS has a case to answer. The Greater Manchester Police duly dropped the case, only reopening it in May 2010. The girl was left high and dry.
The police failed. The law failed. The five girls who saw it through deserve to be praised and helped to lead their lives to the full.
Posted: 8th, May 2012 | In: Reviews Comments (8) | TrackBack | Permalink
