All The Times They Let Daddy Go
SHABIR AHMED worked for Oldham Council between 1988 and 2006. He was employed as a welfare rights officer in the welfare rights unit of the council seconded to the Oldham Pakistani Community Centre. In May 2012 he was found guilty of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, and sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. In June 2012 he was found guilty of a further 30 rape charges and was jailed for an additional 22 years. SHABIR ‘Daddy’ AHMED, the ringleader of the Rochdale Grooming Gang lived in Oldham. As well as being a Director of the local Citizens Advice Bureau, he was also a member of the Oldham Labour Party. I consider him to have been a member of the town’s establishment and a heavyweight figure in Oldham’s Pakistani community.
Though ANDY BURNHAM’s review into AHMED was severely limited by the confinements of his team’s terms of reference set by Oldham Council, their reliance on only being able to see evidence presented to them, and their inability to compel witnesses to give evidence (all 3 of these limitations would be overcome through a Public Inquiry), the review identified multiple failings in how both Oldham Council and Greater Manchester Police investigated concerns in respect of Shabir Ahmed.
Here are the nine times Oldham Council and Greater Manchester Police let Daddy go.
Occasion 1
Greater Manchester Police was notified of a serious allegation of child sexual abuse perpetrated by SHABIR AHMED in 2005. While the victim was an adult when she was seen by the police, the force was made aware that SHABIR AHMED also potentially had contact with a young child who lived outside of Oldham. It is unknown if the police arrested him or even interviewed him under caution. What is known is that GMP didn’t even bother submitting a crime report. Something that was against the National Crime Recording Standard in place at the time.
Furthermore, GMP also failed to inform the local authority responsible for the child. Nor did they notify Oldham Council, which was then AHMED's employer, as a result of the disclosure that he potentially presented a serious risk to children. As there had been a disclosure that AHMED potentially presented a serious risk to children, a full assessment should have been undertaken of the risks to the identified child and to any other children AHMED might have contact with. A referral to the responsible local authority should have been made, followed by a strategy discussion and Section 47 investigation. None of this happened.
It was known by the police that AHMED was a council employee and insufficient enquiries were made into whether his role gave him access to vulnerable adults and children. As a welfare rights officer he would potentially have had contact with a range of vulnerable adults and their children. This matter should therefore have been referred to Oldham Council as his employer. If this had happened, it may have potentially avoided the tragic abuse of other children
Employed by Oldham Council since 1988, AHMED then leaves his well paid position in 2006. Oldham Council has failed to confirm whether he left voluntarily after 18 years of service, just months after the allegations of CSE against him were first made. Something doesn’t add up.
Occasion 2
SHABIR AHMED was arrested for sexual assault on a child in February 2008. He was also arrested on suspicion of abducting two other children in July 2008. No crime was recorded by GMP and no further action was taken. The failure to record a crime appears to be a further breach of the National Crime Recording Standard in place at the time. Likewise, there is no evidence that Greater Manchester Police notified Oldham Council of these allegations so that it could undertake an assessment of the risks AHMED might potentially present to any children he may have contact with.
It is unknown where exactly AHMED was working in February 2008. Unconfirmed sources have him now employed by a community organisation with direct links to the Labour Party. A Director of this organisation was later prosecuted for various offences. Multiple public assets were also sold at discount prices to another Director of this firm.
Whilst much of the public concern is focused on whether AHMED used his employment to access children, my information is that he also used his role as a welfare officer to meet with potential clients that he then pimped out children to.
Occasion 3
Even though SHABIR AHMED had worked for Oldham Council for 18 years, Oldham Council were not involved in ‘strategy discussions’ held between GMP and Rochdale Council in 2008 about AHMED. There is also no evidence that the strategy discussion between GMP and Rochdale Council considered the safeguarding of any child Ahmed may still have had contact with.
Occasion 4
Even after AHMED was charged with sexual assault at the end of September 2008, no action was taken by Oldham Council to undertake a safeguarding assessment, or liaise with the police force.
The Review team fail to clarify if GMP informed Oldham Council that they charged AHMED even though they knew he had been employed by the Council.
Occasion 5
At the end of September 2008, the Probation Service notified Oldham Council that AHMED had been charged with sexual assault. No action was taken by Oldham Council to undertake a safeguarding assessment of AHMED following this information or to liaise with colleagues in Greater Manchester Police.
Everything seems to go cold between September 2008 and December 2010. We do not know if or when AHMED faced trial for what he was charged with or whether he was convicted of anything.
Occasion 6
An allegations management strategy meeting was held in Rochdale in December 2010. Oldham Council was not invited to this meeting and was not notified of the meeting until January 2011. Once notified, no action was taken by Oldham Council to assess the risks that AHMED may present to any children he may have had contact with during his 18 year employment with them.
Occasion 7
On 22 March 2011, AHMED was charged with the rape of the child first brought to the attention of Greater Manchester Police 6 years earlier in 2005. He was remanded into custody. On 1 April, Oldham Council received another notification from the Probation Service in respect of the offences committed against this child. Given the profound child sexual abuse, this should have been a further opportunity to initiate a full assessment of AHMED's circumstances. There is no evidence of this having occurred.
All the way up to this point, March 2011, it appears AHMED had been a free man. Though infamous for his role in the Rochdale Grooming Gang, when he was finally remanded in custody, it was for the rape of a child 6 years earlier in 2005.
Occasion 8
Now charged, the same month (March 2011), Greater Manchester Police requested from Oldham Council copies of the files in respect of AHMED and his family. The email informed Oldham Council of the second child, first identified in 2005 and living outside the Oldham area, with whom AHMED may have had close contact.
This significant information should have prompted Oldham Council to commence a multi-agency strategy discussion and an assessment of the risks presented to any other children and young people Ahmed had previously had close contact with. Oldham Council has been unable to locate any record to explain why this never occurred.
Occasion 9
In 2012, another young woman came forward and disclosed that she had been abused by AHMED whilst a child. Oldham Council was notified of these allegations by Greater Manchester Police. However, children’s social care inexplicably closed the case within a few days without undertaking any assessment. Oldham Council claim they have been unable to locate anything further on this child. There is no evidence of any strategy discussion or assessment of either her allegations or her vulnerability.
The alleged offence on this child had occurred when AHMED was employed as a welfare rights officer by the Council, although it is not known if he had been involved with the victim’s family in a professional capacity. If the strategy meeting had been held, it would have presented yet another opportunity to trigger a referral to the local authority designated officer (LADO) and undertake a detailed review of AHMED's conduct during his employment.
The case was also discontinued by Greater Manchester Police on the basis that there was “no realistic prospect of conviction”. This was apparently a police decision, and the case was never discussed with the Crown Prosecution Service. Neither Greater Manchester Police nor Oldham Council was able to provide ANDY BURNHAM’s review team with any assurance that the child’s allegations and vulnerability were appropriately dealt with.
Conclusion
In May 2012 SHABIR AHMED was found guilty of two rapes, aiding and abetting rape, sexual assault and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation, and sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. In June 2012 he was found guilty of a further 30 rape charges and was jailed for an additional 22 years.
The review team concluded that there were serious multiple failures by both Greater Manchester Police and Oldham Council to follow the procedures in place to investigate the threat SHABIR AHMED presented to children. If these procedures had been followed, his offending behaviour could have been addressed at an earlier stage and potentially the abuse of his subsequent victims may have been prevented.
It is not known whether these repeated failures by both GMP and Oldham Council were a cover up or just a cock up. What is known is that SHABIR AHMED's network included leading politicians within Oldham’s Pakistani & Bangladeshi community. Not one was interviewed by the Review team. Nor have come forward to confirm the nature of their relationship with Daddy except for Cllr ABDUL JABBAR who when responding to a question from a member of the public confirms he did NOT provide a reference to aid AHMED during sentencing. Cllr JABBAR does not expand on whether he knew AHMED but at least he has issued a statement condemning AHMED. He is the only councillor to have done so.
When I first disclosed AHMED's real role in the Council, it was from information provided to me from a senior source within the Labour Party. Everything shared with me has been so far proven to be accurate including AHMED’s membership of the Labour Party and that he had access to children whilst employed by Oldham Council.
All of my sources are clear. Daddy was well known to individuals in powerful positions and that some of those that had a relationship with him remain involved in Oldham politics to this day. Not only did they know Daddy, they knew what he was involved in and at the very least looked the other way. To this day, people in Oldham remain fearful of what would happen to them should they speak out against Daddy and his network.
In responding to these damning failings, neither of the town’s MP’s DEBBIE ABRAHAMS or JIM McMAHON chose to share any alarm towards the clear failings of Oldham Council and GMP. Perhaps JIM McMAHON wanted to deflect attention away from how he had been an Oldham councillor since 2003 and leader of the Council since 2011 before becoming the town’s MP? Instead of supporting the clear need for a Public Inquiry, both McMAHON and ABRAHAMS launched an immediate response demonising campaigners as racists and far right activists.
Within months of the release of the findings of the review, the Council Chief Executive and her entire leadership team all moved on. There is no evidence that these incidents are in any way linked. Repeated attempts by opposition party politicians and representatives of survivor groups to call in the government to conduct a Public Inquiry have been blocked by councillors from the same Labour Party that SHABIR AHMED was a member of.
On Monday 15th January 2024, over 6 years since Daddy was made famous by the BBC documentary The Three Girls, further failings of what took place in Rochdale and the subsequent cover up was revealed in Part 3 of ANDY BURNHAM’s Review. Speaking at the press conference, and despite the report being Rochdale focus, MAGGIE OLIVER specifically raised Oldham. She condemned the Oldham Review and clearly stated that the investigative team of NEWSAM & RIDGWAY had been prevented from getting to the truth to the extent that even survivors had been blocked from giving testimony.
From the outset I have remained clear in my position that the review into the cover up of the grooming and gang rape of Working Class White girls in my home town is actually a cover up of a cover up. And that only a Public Inquiry will get to the truth of just what happened in Oldham.
My name is Raja Miah. This is my home town. Those that control the town fear me because of my integrity, my refusal to be intimidated and also my experience and knowledge. I am nothing like any politician this town has ever seen. I’m asking you to help me. When the time comes, vote for me and I will end this reign of tyranny. It is now or never. Help defeat Labour and #TakeBackOldham #JusticeIsComing.
Do Not Fear Them. Do Not Fear Any Of Them.
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