Abdul Rauf, a convicted ringleader of the notorious Rochdale grooming gang, continues to live freely in Rochdale despite a decade-long legal battle and multiple court rulings ordering his deportation to Pakistan. Rauf was released in 2014 after serving two and a half years of a six-year sentence for his role in the sexual exploitation of vulnerable girls, some as young as 12. His conviction, alongside those of eight other men, shocked the nation and triggered years of campaigning by victims for justice and systemic change.

Although Rauf was initially told he would be deported following his prison term, he remains in the UK. This delay stems from complex legal and diplomatic obstacles. Rauf has renounced his Pakistani citizenship, claiming statelessness to block deportation — a move that Pakistan has refused to recognise, refusing to accept him without valid travel documents. As a result, despite losing his appeal against deportation in October 2022, he remains in place, working as a takeaway delivery driver in Rochdale.

Adding to the controversy, sources from Rauf’s native village of Charhoi in Pakistan-administered Kashmir reveal he has funded the construction of a house there. Villagers say the property was built near the local bazaar with the apparent intention of living there once deported. His family, described as influential and financially strong in the village, maintains a low profile on the subject of his conviction, contradicting his appeals claim that he would face risks from “public opinion” and lack of protection by authorities should he return. Neighbours in Rochdale express alarm and fear at his presence so close to his victims, with some describing ongoing parties at his residence and feeling unable to freely allow their children outside.

Rauf’s situation illustrates wider challenges surrounding the deportation of foreign criminals convicted in serious offences in the UK. Other members of the Rochdale grooming gang, including Adil Khan and Abdul Aziz, have also renounced Pakistani citizenship to avoid deportation, complicating Home Office efforts to remove them. In 2018, British courts upheld decisions to strip gang members of their British citizenship on grounds of public safety, but renunciation of original citizenship by these men has created a legal limbo. The UK government, with Foreign Secretary David Lammy reportedly leading talks with Pakistan, continues to pursue their deportation.

Public frustration mounts as evidence emerges of what many see as failure and delay in protecting communities from convicted offenders. This has coincided with growing recognition of the ethnic dynamics surrounding grooming gang cases in the UK, which was highlighted by a 2023 review that criticised officials for avoiding “uncomfortable” questions about perpetrators’ backgrounds. The refusal or inability to deport individuals like Rauf fuels concerns about community safety and justice for victims, who continue to live alongside those responsible for their abuse.

The case underscores the complexities governments face in balancing legal, human rights, and diplomatic factors in the increasingly fraught arena of criminal deportation, as well as the enduring pain and fear inflicted on victims and communities left in the shadow of such crimes.

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Source: Noah Wire Services