Failures in Oldham Grooming Investigations and National Inquiry Underway
In Oldham, the handling of grooming gang abuse cases over the past two decades has drawn intense scrutiny amid findings of systemic failures by authorities and ongoing investigations. In one notable case, an unnamed offender, referred to as Offender J, is alleged to have participated in the 2006 gang rape of 12-year-old Samantha Walker-Roberts and later attempted to murder his wife in 2009. Despite a 2006 identification of Offender J as an alleged accomplice by Shakil Chowdhury, police failed to follow up, ultimately closing the case and destroying or returning crucial evidence from Chowdhury's home in 2007–08. Surviving forensic evidence does not link Offender J to Walker-Roberts's abuse, making new charges unlikely, although the only conviction related to the case remains Chowdhury, who received a six-year sentence in 2007.
Walker-Roberts was trafficked around Oldham after her initial reports of assault, including being abducted from a police station, and abused by multiple groups. Two suspects remain outstanding: Sarwar Ali, who absconded after rape charges, and another man linked by forensic evidence who has not come to police attention. Internal reviews uncovered major investigative failings, including an inability to provide a forensic strategy and serious concerns over safeguarding. The Greater Manchester Police acknowledged the horrific abuse suffered and the failures by authorities, noting further suspects are to be brought to court and forensic leads are being pursued.
Broader investigations reveal that social workers first raised concerns about disappearances of girls from children's homes as early as 2003. By 2006, groups were targeting children at high schools, with some victims enduring extensive abuse; one case involved a child abused by around 300 men and struggling with substance addiction by age 14. Operation Messenger, a multi-agency task force initiated in the mid-2000s involving police, council, health services, and Barnardo’s, sought to combat child sexual exploitation. Despite initial accolades, a 2022 safeguarding review found its casework generally poor and lacking effective multi-agency protection, though it found no evidence of a cover-up to protect Oldham's Muslim population.
The exploitation involved offenders from diverse backgrounds, but a significant number were linked to British Asian men of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage. Authorities faced challenges addressing the issue without fueling far-right backlash, with a 2011 Greater Manchester Police memo highlighting anxieties over political correctness potentially creating a conspiracy of silence and the risk of demonizing Muslim communities.
Walker-Roberts has campaigned for an independent Oldham inquiry, emphasizing the need to listen to victims rather than label them as "problem children." Failures extended to destroyed evidence, missed investigative leads, and insufficient police follow-up on tips about missing girls. In early 2025, public outcry triggered by media coverage led the government to commission a statutory national inquiry into grooming gangs across England and Wales. This includes an Oldham-focused strand examining the role of ethnicity, religion, and culture in the official responses.
The inquiry will be chaired by Anne Longfield, and the Oldham investigation will be absorbed into the national inquiry following the standing down of former lead Tom Crowther amid controversy and survivor panel resignations. Oldham council has acknowledged its past failings and supports the national investigation aimed at uncovering what went wrong and preventing future tragedies.
