Grooming gang guilty of raping and abusing girls

Seven men have been found guilty in a grooming gang case in Rochdale involving the repeated rape and assault of two teenage girls over five years. The victims, known as Girl A and Girl B, were groomed from the age of 13, treated as "sex slaves," and left deeply traumatised. The men, including stallholders on Rochdale market, plied the girls with drugs and alcohol and expected regular sex in return. The convictions send a message that sexual exploitation of children will be relentlessly prosecuted, and efforts are underway to improve investigations into child sexual exploitation.