Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is set to be released from prison today (July 2) after serving 14 years for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls. The 72-year-old former taxi driver, known as 'Daddy', led a nine-strong group that exploited girls as young as 13 between 2007 and 2008 at Tasty Bites and another takeaway in Heywood.
Government exploring deportation options
Minister Baroness Jacqui Smith told LBC that officials are working to 'persuade Pakistan to take him back'. She said: "There are two problems here. Number one, there are a very small number of people who came to this country over 50 years ago from Commonwealth countries where the law doesn't allow them to be deported. And secondly, of course, in order to deport somebody, the country to which you are going to deport them needs to be willing to take them."
Baroness Smith added: "We are looking within Government at everything that we could possibly do in order to review the law in order to persuade Pakistan to take him. We're doing everything we can, looking at every route to get this guy out of the country."
Political and public outcry
Makerfield MP Andy Burnham, widely expected to be the next prime minister, tweeted: "Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options - and they should consider nothing is off the table."
Manchester City Council leader Bev Craig has written to Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, urging them to 'deport' the grooming gang boss. She said: "The victims, not the criminals must be put first. I ask you to leave no legal stone unturned in seeking to remove this appalling individual from the UK."
Victim's father demands deportation
The father of Ahmed's main victim, referred to as 'Holly' in the BBC drama 'Three Girls', told the Manchester Evening News: "He should be deported. What makes people think this man is going to stop? You can't fix someone like him, a paedophile who's attracted to children. That man should not be allowed to stay in Great Britain for what he's done. It's ridiculous he's being allowed to stay."
He added: "He was not born here. He should be gone. He's a wrong 'un. I'm a hundred per cent convinced he will re-offend. There's no doubt in my mind he will attack another child and he will re-offend."
Ahmed's criminal history
Ahmed was convicted in 2012 of two counts of rape, one sexual assault, trafficking, and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. He committed rape and shared victims with other men at sex parties across the north of England. Despite being stripped of his British citizenship, victims have been told he cannot be deported because Pakistan has not agreed to accept him.
