A man suspected of taking part in the gang-rape of a 12-year-old girl in Oldham was allowed to evade investigation due to police failings and later attempted to murder his wife, a Guardian investigation has revealed.
The suspect, identified only as Offender J in paperwork, was allegedly involved in the 2006 rape of Samantha Walker-Roberts. Ringleader Shakil Chowdhury named him as an accomplice, but Greater Manchester Police (GMP) did not follow up and closed the case. Chowdhury was jailed for six years in 2007, but remains the only person convicted.
Offender J tried to kill his wife in 2009. An internal police inquiry in 2014 concluded the attack might have been prevented if forensic inquiries had been properly conducted. Ms Walker-Roberts said: 'All my life, I’ve been told I need to move on but how can I, when I don’t have the answers?'
Police destroyed or returned 46 items of evidence from Chowdhury's home, including bedding and towels, despite potential relevance to outstanding suspects. Another suspect, Sarwar Ali, absconded after being charged with rape and has never been traced. A third man is being sought based on forensic evidence.
A safeguarding review commissioned by Mayor Andy Burnham found a 'serious failure' when police failed to act on a 2011 report that Offender J had admitted rape to his wife. The case has contributed to the establishment of a national inquiry into grooming gangs, to be chaired by Anne Longfield starting in March.
