Unseen Rochdale sex ring victims will give harrowing account of their ordeal for new BBC doc
UNSEEN victims of the Rochdale sex abuse scandal will give a harrowing TV account of the abuse they suffered.
The drama Three Girls – starring Maxine Peake – gripped the nation with its portrayal of the horrific attacks on the three victims.
And now a 90-minute documentary about the scandal - The Betrayed Girls - has been commissioned by the BBC.
It features the testimony of victims whose stories have not been told before and includes interviews with Sara Rowbotham, manager of the Rochdale Crisis Intervention Team who blew the whistle on the scandal, former Detective Constable Maggie Oliver, and Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal.
Sara was played by actress Maxine in the BBC1 drama.
MOST READ IN NEWS
The revelation in May 2012 that nine Asian men were guilty of the grooming, rape and sex trafficking of teenage white girls shocked the nation.
It emerged the police and social services knew about the abusers for years but did nothing despite Sara’s pleas.
Nine men were jailed for their wicked crimes but the scandal is still causing tensions in the town.
Gang leader Shabir Ahmed and three other men were ordered to be deported back to Pakistan but have begun a legal battle to stay in the UK.
They are taking their fight to the Court of Appeal to avoid being booted out following their convictions and their costly legal aid fund is being bankrolled by the taxpayer.
The Court of Appeal has granted permission for them to contest their deportation, but a date for the hearing has not yet been set.
A Home Office spokesman said: “All four men have been granted permission to appeal at the Court of Appeal and it would be inappropriate to comment further on ongoing legal proceedings.”