BBC drama on Rochdale child sexual exploitation ring

Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of a child sex grooming gang who preyed on girls as young as 13 in Rochdale

A new three-part drama about the Rochdale child sexual exploitation ring is being created by the BBC.

Many of the specifics of the project are yet to be announced, but the drama is to focus on the group of nine men of Pakistani and Afghan origin who were found guilty of child sex charges in 2012.

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/69482/child-sex-trial-nine-found-guilty-of-child-sex-charges

All of the victims were under-age white British girls, and accusations were made that the authorities had failed to thoroughly investigate the issue amid fears of being accused of racism.

In March 2015, following the publication of an internal report, the Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police issued an apology to victims of the scandal, saying “mistakes were made”.

Over the course of several years, the victims, who were aged between 13 and 17, were systematically raped and abused by the group. Displaying classic grooming behaviour, the men plied their young vulnerable victims with alcohol, food and money in return for sex.

On some occasions the girls were beaten if they didn't agree to have sex and on others they were so drunk that they didn't know what was being done to them.

The men, most of whom knew each other, would pass some of the girls around between them and even paid some of the victims to bring them new girls.

They were sentenced in May 2012:

http://www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/69501/child-sex-trial-sentences