A victim of the Rochdale grooming gang has been granted additional police security following the release of the gang's leader, Shabir Ahmed. Ruby, who was 12 when Ahmed's group began abusing her, has been given an 'urgent response marker' by Greater Manchester Police (GMP), enabling rapid deployment to her home. Officers are treating her as a 'high-risk victim' after she expressed that she does not feel safe with Ahmed in the community.
Ahmed's Release and Conditions
Ahmed, 73, who wanted to be known as 'Daddy' to his victims, left prison on Thursday after serving 14 years for multiple rape and sexual offences against young girls. The conditions of his release require him to initially live in secure accommodation and stay out of an exclusion zone centered on Rochdale. However, there is widespread anger among survivors and politicians that Ahmed cannot be deported due to a niche law.
Victim's Fears and Security Measures
Ruby previously spoke out about her fear for her safety and that of her children following Ahmed's release. After discussions with GMP officers, she has been provided with an app on her phone to contact police if she feels in danger. Ruby was threatened at gunpoint in 2011 by someone linked to Ahmed's gang, who warned he would 'shoot her' if she went to police. In 2018, she encountered one of her abusers, Ahmed's friend Adil Khan, in a Rochdale Asda after his release from prison; Khan is believed to have left the UK.
Maggie Oliver's Involvement
Maggie Oliver, a police whistleblower who helped expose the handling of the Rochdale grooming gang, said: 'I've known Ruby for 15 years and supported her through everything. And in 15 years I've never seen her so frightened, feeling so angry and powerless and triggered and actually outraged. She was promised so many things. She was promised therapy, a team to support her, and that her abusers would be deported. None of it has happened.' Oliver revealed she met GMP last week to organize security for Ruby at her home in Rochdale, adding: 'None of that was done for her. I had to ask for it. She's been set up now for her safety. She's in a mess. She's fearful, and rightly so. She's been threatened at gunpoint, her and Amber, and told not to go to the police. That man was never prosecuted.'
Wider Impact and Political Response
Ahmed's release has prompted police to tighten security for other victims of the gang. Oliver noted that many victims were not informed about Ahmed's release. A political storm has erupted over Ahmed's freedom. Lawmakers have acknowledged that the Immigration Act 1971 prevents his deportation to Pakistan, where he was born, even though he has been stripped of British citizenship. The Foreign Office is reportedly pursuing a 'diplomatic route' with Pakistan, potentially using visa sanctions, withholding foreign aid, or other financial measures. Health Secretary James Murray said on Sunday that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is 'doing everything she can' to remove Ahmed. He told Sky News: 'I know that the home secretary and the foreign secretary were working on this, looking at all options to get him out of the country, because it just feels wrong.'
Other Survivors Speak Out
Another grooming gang survivor, Elizabeth Harper, whose rapist Asghar Bostan was released early on parole and spotted near her house in Rotherham in 2024, said: 'The fear is real, and it does come true sometimes.' Regarding Ahmed's release, Elizabeth told Metro: 'It just goes to show how the system really isn't working. We are talking about an individual who organised a gang. He was the top of the hierarchy. I just feel like again we are seeing the poor victims are at the bottom of the pile.'
