https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...e-involved-abuse-trafficking-1-400-girls.html
At least 11 key members of Rotherham sex grooming gangs sentenced to over 180 years in jail have been quietly released after serving half their sentences or will be released on parole in the next few weeks.
A MailOnline investigation has revealed that 11 out of 22 core members of linked Rotherham sex gangs are back on the streets despite being involved in the abuse and trafficking of up to 1,400 girls.
A twelfth member, Zalgai Ahmadi, now 51, was told on Friday 26th January, 2024, that the Parole Board had recommended his release. He was serving a nine-and-a-half year sentence for being part of a gang that held a 14-year-old girl in his flat against her will.
The panel ruled that the abuser, convicted of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and false imprisonment and jailed at Sheffield Crown Court in May 2017, was no longer a threat to the public.
The Secretary of State for Justice has 28 days to ask the Parole Board to reconsider its judgement. It does not have the power to overturn the decision.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Zalgai Ahmadi following an oral hearing.
A MailOnline investigation has revealed that 11 out of 22 core members of linked Rotherham sex gangs are back on the streets despite being involved in the abuse and trafficking of up to 1,400 girls. Pictured left to right: Mohammed Whied, Waleed Ali, Asif Ali
The Secretary of State for Justice has 28 days to ask the Parole Board to reconsider its judgement. It does not have the power to overturn the decision. Pictured: Naeem Rafiq (left) and Masaued Malik (right)
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.
'Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.
'It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.
'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'
In further developments, three more members of a grooming ring sentenced on charges including rape and having sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years old have been referred to the Parole Board for appeals.
The hearings for Nasar Dad, Matloob Hussain and Mohammed Sadiq, who were jailed for a total of over 40-years in February 2017, will be heard in months and they could be freed by the early summer.
MailOnline understands that 10 have already been freed and were automatically released on licence half-way through their sentence. A 12th was released at the end of his sentence after a rejected parole. Pictured: Sharaz Hussain (left) and Zaheer Iqbal (right)
Amjad Ali, then 38, jailed with Dad, Hussain and Sadiq in 2017, after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. He was jailed for 11 years
The trio were all jailed in 2017 when they were found guilty of abusing two 'naive and vulnerable' young girls in Rotherham between 1999 and 2001. Three other men were also jailed at the same time.
Dad, then 36, was jailed for 14-and-a-half years for one count of rape, inciting indecency with a child and false imprisonment.
Hussain, then 42 and Mohammed Sadiq, 40, were both found guilty of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. They were both jailed for 13 years.
The Parole Board confirmed the trio have been 'referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and are following standard processes.
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.'
MailOnline understands that 10 have already been freed and were automatically released on licence half-way through their sentence. A 12th was released at the end of his sentence after a rejected parole.
Under the current legal system, a prisoner serving a determinant sentence for a fixed length of time, will be released under the supervision of the probation service after serving half their term.
Because of the legal rules in place governing inmates' rights under determinant sentences, officials were unable to refer their cases to the Parole Board for assessment.
Karen MacGregor, then 58, who was found guilty in 2016 of two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to procure prostitutes and false imprisonment. She was jailed for 13 years
Her halfway tariff - taking into consideration time held on remand - was passed in 2023
MailOnline put the list of those understood to be released to the Ministry of Justice but it said it does not comment on individual cases.
They are: Karen MacGregor, then 58, who was found guilty in 2016 of two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to procure prostitutes and false imprisonment. She was jailed for 13 years.
Her halfway tariff - taking into consideration time held on remand - was passed in 2023. The other ten are:
Amjad Ali, then 38, jailed with Dad, Hussain and Sadiq in 2017, after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. He was jailed for 11 years.
Waleed Ali, 34, was jailed in for 13-years for rape and indecent assault in 2016.
Asif Ali, 30, was one of eight men found guilty in November 2016, for sexually exploiting and causing 'immeasurable and far-reaching harm' to a teenage girl.
He was found guilty of rape and jailed for 12 years.
In the same trial, Naeem Rafiq, 33, was jailed for eight years for conspiracy to commit indecent assault and false imprisonment.
The panel ruled that the abuser, convicted of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and false imprisonment and jailed at Sheffield Crown Court (pictured) in May 2017, was no longer a threat to the public
Three men jailed together in November 2017 and convicted of a total of 15 counts of indecent assault on a teenage girl are believed to have been released.
Sajid Ali, 38, was convicted of seven counts of indecent assault and jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
Zaheer Iqbal, 40, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and given a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence.
Riaz Makhmood, 39, was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and jailed for six years and nine months.
In August 2019, Masaued Malik, 35, was jailed for five years after being found guilty of one count of indecent assault.
Sharaz Hussain, 35, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of one count of indecent assault.
Mohammed Whied, 32, jailed in November 2016 for five years for aiding and abetting rape had a parole appeal rejected in 2021. He is believed to have subsequently been released at the end of his sentence.
An official report released in 2014 found that 1,400 women and girls in Rotherham were subjected to sexual exploitation as children by multiple gangs between 1997 and 2013 in the UK's biggest sex abuse scandal.
The report commissioned by Rotherham Borough Council found that children as young as 11 were raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated.
The council's leader Roger Stone who had held his post since 2003 stepped down with immediate effect after publication of the report, saying: 'I believe it is only right that as leader I take responsibility for the historic failings described so clearly.'
Shaun Wright also quit as South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner after weeks of pressure over the report's findings.
Mr Wright, who was elected as PCC in 2012, had been in charge of children's services in Rotherham between 2005 and 2010.
The inquiry team noted fears among council staff that they would be labelled 'racist' if they focused on victims' descriptions of the majority of abusers as being Asian men.
Report author Professor Alexis Jay said there had been 'blatant' collective failures by the council's leadership, while senior managers had 'underplayed' the scale of abuse.
Jay also criticised South Yorkshire Police for failing to prioritise the issue.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: 'Sex offenders face some of the strictest licence conditions and can be put back behind bars if they break the rules at any point. We've also changed the law so the most serious criminals spend longer in prison.'
At least 11 key members of Rotherham sex grooming gangs sentenced to over 180 years in jail have been quietly released after serving half their sentences or will be released on parole in the next few weeks.
A MailOnline investigation has revealed that 11 out of 22 core members of linked Rotherham sex gangs are back on the streets despite being involved in the abuse and trafficking of up to 1,400 girls.
A twelfth member, Zalgai Ahmadi, now 51, was told on Friday 26th January, 2024, that the Parole Board had recommended his release. He was serving a nine-and-a-half year sentence for being part of a gang that held a 14-year-old girl in his flat against her will.
The panel ruled that the abuser, convicted of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and false imprisonment and jailed at Sheffield Crown Court in May 2017, was no longer a threat to the public.
The Secretary of State for Justice has 28 days to ask the Parole Board to reconsider its judgement. It does not have the power to overturn the decision.
A spokesperson for the Parole Board said: 'We can confirm that a panel of the Parole Board has directed the release of Zalgai Ahmadi following an oral hearing.
A MailOnline investigation has revealed that 11 out of 22 core members of linked Rotherham sex gangs are back on the streets despite being involved in the abuse and trafficking of up to 1,400 girls. Pictured left to right: Mohammed Whied, Waleed Ali, Asif Ali
The Secretary of State for Justice has 28 days to ask the Parole Board to reconsider its judgement. It does not have the power to overturn the decision. Pictured: Naeem Rafiq (left) and Masaued Malik (right)
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.
READ MORE: Rotherham grooming gang ringleader admits historic rape of a 13-year-old girl who he plied with drugs and alcohol in sickening campaign of abuse
'A panel will carefully examine a huge range of evidence, including details of the original crime, and any evidence of behaviour change, as well as explore the harm done and impact the crime has had on the victims.
'Members read and digest hundreds of pages of evidence and reports in the lead up to an oral hearing.
'Evidence from witnesses such as probation officers, psychiatrists and psychologists, officials supervising the offender in prison as well as victim personal statements may be given at the hearing.
'It is standard for the prisoner and witnesses to be questioned at length during the hearing which often lasts a full day or more.
'Parole reviews are undertaken thoroughly and with extreme care. Protecting the public is our number one priority.'
In further developments, three more members of a grooming ring sentenced on charges including rape and having sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 years old have been referred to the Parole Board for appeals.
The hearings for Nasar Dad, Matloob Hussain and Mohammed Sadiq, who were jailed for a total of over 40-years in February 2017, will be heard in months and they could be freed by the early summer.
MailOnline understands that 10 have already been freed and were automatically released on licence half-way through their sentence. A 12th was released at the end of his sentence after a rejected parole. Pictured: Sharaz Hussain (left) and Zaheer Iqbal (right)
Amjad Ali, then 38, jailed with Dad, Hussain and Sadiq in 2017, after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. He was jailed for 11 years
The trio were all jailed in 2017 when they were found guilty of abusing two 'naive and vulnerable' young girls in Rotherham between 1999 and 2001. Three other men were also jailed at the same time.
Dad, then 36, was jailed for 14-and-a-half years for one count of rape, inciting indecency with a child and false imprisonment.
Hussain, then 42 and Mohammed Sadiq, 40, were both found guilty of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. They were both jailed for 13 years.
The Parole Board confirmed the trio have been 'referred to the Parole Board by the Secretary of State for Justice and are following standard processes.
'Parole Board decisions are solely focused on what risk a prisoner could represent to the public if released and whether that risk is manageable in the community.'
MailOnline understands that 10 have already been freed and were automatically released on licence half-way through their sentence. A 12th was released at the end of his sentence after a rejected parole.
Under the current legal system, a prisoner serving a determinant sentence for a fixed length of time, will be released under the supervision of the probation service after serving half their term.
Because of the legal rules in place governing inmates' rights under determinant sentences, officials were unable to refer their cases to the Parole Board for assessment.
Karen MacGregor, then 58, who was found guilty in 2016 of two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to procure prostitutes and false imprisonment. She was jailed for 13 years
Her halfway tariff - taking into consideration time held on remand - was passed in 2023
MailOnline put the list of those understood to be released to the Ministry of Justice but it said it does not comment on individual cases.
They are: Karen MacGregor, then 58, who was found guilty in 2016 of two counts of conspiracy to rape, conspiracy to procure prostitutes and false imprisonment. She was jailed for 13 years.
Her halfway tariff - taking into consideration time held on remand - was passed in 2023. The other ten are:
Amjad Ali, then 38, jailed with Dad, Hussain and Sadiq in 2017, after pleading guilty to one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13. He was jailed for 11 years.
Waleed Ali, 34, was jailed in for 13-years for rape and indecent assault in 2016.
Asif Ali, 30, was one of eight men found guilty in November 2016, for sexually exploiting and causing 'immeasurable and far-reaching harm' to a teenage girl.
He was found guilty of rape and jailed for 12 years.
In the same trial, Naeem Rafiq, 33, was jailed for eight years for conspiracy to commit indecent assault and false imprisonment.
The panel ruled that the abuser, convicted of conspiracy to commit sexual assault and false imprisonment and jailed at Sheffield Crown Court (pictured) in May 2017, was no longer a threat to the public
Three men jailed together in November 2017 and convicted of a total of 15 counts of indecent assault on a teenage girl are believed to have been released.
Sajid Ali, 38, was convicted of seven counts of indecent assault and jailed for seven-and-a-half years.
Zaheer Iqbal, 40, was found guilty of five counts of indecent assault and given a seven-and-a-half year prison sentence.
Riaz Makhmood, 39, was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and jailed for six years and nine months.
In August 2019, Masaued Malik, 35, was jailed for five years after being found guilty of one count of indecent assault.
Sharaz Hussain, 35, was jailed for four years after being found guilty of one count of indecent assault.
Mohammed Whied, 32, jailed in November 2016 for five years for aiding and abetting rape had a parole appeal rejected in 2021. He is believed to have subsequently been released at the end of his sentence.
An official report released in 2014 found that 1,400 women and girls in Rotherham were subjected to sexual exploitation as children by multiple gangs between 1997 and 2013 in the UK's biggest sex abuse scandal.
The report commissioned by Rotherham Borough Council found that children as young as 11 were raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated.
The council's leader Roger Stone who had held his post since 2003 stepped down with immediate effect after publication of the report, saying: 'I believe it is only right that as leader I take responsibility for the historic failings described so clearly.'
Shaun Wright also quit as South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner after weeks of pressure over the report's findings.
Mr Wright, who was elected as PCC in 2012, had been in charge of children's services in Rotherham between 2005 and 2010.
The inquiry team noted fears among council staff that they would be labelled 'racist' if they focused on victims' descriptions of the majority of abusers as being Asian men.
Report author Professor Alexis Jay said there had been 'blatant' collective failures by the council's leadership, while senior managers had 'underplayed' the scale of abuse.
Jay also criticised South Yorkshire Police for failing to prioritise the issue.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said: 'Sex offenders face some of the strictest licence conditions and can be put back behind bars if they break the rules at any point. We've also changed the law so the most serious criminals spend longer in prison.'
