Overview

• Seven men were sentenced at Minshull Street Crown Court for grooming and raping two schoolgirls between 2001 and 2006, with ringleader Mohammed Zahid jailed for 35 years.
• The court heard the girls were lured from about age 13 with gifts, alcohol and drugs, then coerced into sex in flats, cars and other locations, with Zahid exploiting access through his market stall.
• Judge Jonathan Seely said the victims were "seriously let down" by police and social services, and both agencies have issued apologies for past failures.
• One defendant, Kasir Bashir, fled the UK while on bail and was sentenced in his absence, while other defendants received terms ranging from 12 to 29 years.
• The case forms part of Greater Manchester Police’s Operation Lytton into historic child sexual exploitation in Rochdale, which remains active as investigators continue to review potential victims and suspects.