Geostrategic Media Political Commentary, Analysis, Security, Defense
Dimitra Staikou
On October 1, 2025, 65-year-old Mohammed Zahid, known as “Boss Man,” was sentenced to 35 years in prison as a leading member of a grooming gang in Rochdale, England. Zahid, a founding member of the gang, was convicted of systematically sexually abusing two underage girls between 2001 and 2006, when the girls were just 13 years old. This was not Zahid’s first offense; he had previously been convicted in 2016 for sexual contact with a 14-year-old girl.
During the trial in June 2025, seven men were found guilty on a total of 50 counts, including rape, indecent assault on a minor, and procuring a child for sex. Zahid was convicted of 20 offenses, including rape and attempting to lure a minor into a sexual act. The sentences for his accomplices ranged from 12 to 29 years.
The exploitation of the two girls began when they were 13. Zahid operated a lingerie stall at Rochdale Indoor Market, where he provided the girls with free underwear, money, food, and alcohol in exchange for sex. One of the girls lived in a care home, and Zahid would pick her up from the institution.
The court revealed that the girls suffered sexual abuse from the age of 13 in various locations, including dirty flats, car parks, alleyways, and abandoned warehouses in Manchester. Referred to as Girl A and Girl B by Zahid’s gang, they were treated as “sex slaves,” forced to sleep with whoever the perpetrators instructed. Both girls came from troubled family backgrounds, and their abusers manipulated them by offering drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes, as well as accommodation.
During the sentencing, Judge Jonathan Seely described the men’s treatment of the girls as “unacceptable.” He pointed out that the girls were abused, humiliated, and subsequently rejected. “It would have been obvious to these men that they were craving the attention their family lives weren’t providing them,” he said. “They felt they had little or no choice but to submit to the almost constant sexual abuse inflicted upon them.”
Detective Constable Jay Leacock from Greater Manchester Police stated that the men “exploited the girls’ vulnerability for their own perverted sexual gratification.” He added, “This horrific abuse knew no bounds, despite their denials throughout this lengthy investigation and trial.” He criticized the casual contempt the perpetrators showed towards the girls and noted their lack of remorse for their actions.
Liz Fel, a special prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, praised the young victims for their courage in testifying, emphasizing that they had shown tremendous strength and dignity throughout the legal process.
Analyzing the victims’ profiles, it is evident that the girls in Rochdale were particularly vulnerable to sexual abuse due to a combination of personal, familial, and social factors. They lived in troubled environments with limited supervision, and poverty made them more dependent on others. At just 13 years old, they lacked the judgment and experience to recognize danger, while their emotional need for acceptance made them easier targets for manipulation. The perpetrators exploited their low self-esteem and isolation, using gifts, money, alcohol, and psychological pressure to control them. This systemic exploitation was exacerbated by the authorities’ failure to intervene in a timely manner.
Criticism has been directed at the police and social services in Rochdale for their shortcomings. Many minors who reported abuse found little support. Concerns about being perceived as racist towards the minority Pakistani community in England appear to have hindered timely investigations. This delay exposed the victims to further abuse and sent a troubling message: that political correctness could overshadow child protection. Protecting citizens must take precedence over fears of being labeled racist, especially when timely intervention is crucial.
A 2014 report found that many children in Rochdale were abused for years by groups of men, primarily of Pakistani origin. The report indicated that municipal and social services were slow to respond due to fears of accusations of racism or disrupting social cohesion. An independent inquiry in Telford revealed a “nervousness around race” that hindered investigations into child abuse within the ‘Asian’ community.
A recent national review by Louise Casey highlighted that in about two-thirds of cases of child sexual exploitation by grooming gangs in the UK, the nationality or origin of the predominantly Pakistani perpetrators was not recorded due to fears of community tensions. This lack of data delayed understanding crime patterns and hindered timely action, eroding victims’ trust in the justice system. Casey now advocates for mandatory recording of nationality and citizenship, a national survey, and the reopening of numerous cold cases.
In a world characterized by the free movement of goods and people, cultural differences should not shield criminal behavior. The law must be applied strictly and equally for all, regardless of nationality or religion. Recording the nationality and religion of perpetrators can help in understanding patterns and preventing future crimes, without targeting entire communities.
Dimitra Staikou is a Greek lawyer, human rights advocate . She works as a journalist writing about human right's violations in South Asia and ctravels to India to get informed about the political situation there and the geopolitcs between India,China ,Pakistan and Bangladesh. She works for Greece's biggest newspaper Skai.gr and Huffpost.Gr as well as international distinguised news sites as Modern Diplomacy and Global Research.
