Rochdale grooming gang ringleader Shabir Ahmed to be released from prison
Shabir Ahmed, ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is set to be released from prison after serving 14 years of a 22-year sentence. Deportation efforts are complicated by the 1971 Immigration Act, with local politicians exploring options to prevent his release.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, is due to be released from prison tomorrow after serving 14 years of a 19-year sentence for multiple child rapes and sexual offences. Ahmed, now 73, was convicted in 2012 and was known to his victims as 'Daddy'. He had dual British and Pakistani citizenship but was stripped of his British citizenship after his conviction. Despite this, he cannot be deported to Pakistan because of a provision in the Immigration Act 1971, which prevents the removal of Commonwealth citizens who arrived in the UK before 1973 and had lived here for at least five years before any deportation was considered. Instead, he will be released on licence, subject to strict conditions: he will be on the sex offender register for life, banned from contacting any child or young person, ordered to stay away from his victims, and forced to wear an electronic tag. He will also face curfews and restriction zones, and any breach could lead to immediate imprisonment.
The imminent release has sparked widespread anger and renewed calls for a change in the law. Victims have expressed fear for their safety and that of their families. One victim, identified as Ruby, said she was scared for her safety and her children's safety, and criticised the lack of a dedicated support team promised by the government. She also questioned why laws from 1971 are still relied upon in 2026.
Andy Burnham, the Labour leader expected to become Prime Minister within weeks, intervened on social media, saying he would ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options to deport Ahmed, adding that 'nothing is off the table'. The Home Office initially indicated it was not minded to change the law, but after Burnham's intervention it said it was exploring all possible options. Local MPs, including Jim McMahon, Elsie Blundell, and Paul Waugh, have also called for action, with some tabling amendments to reverse the relevant provision in the 1971 Act.
Legal experts have noted that changing the law retrospectively would be difficult, as it could contravene Article 7 of the Human Rights Convention, which prohibits heavier penalties after an offence has been committed. However, some argue that Parliament can amend any act if it chooses to do so.
The Rochdale scandal, which involved the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young girls, led to years of scrutiny and a later report that found serious failures by police and local authorities. The case continues to raise difficult questions about how some of the most vulnerable children in the country were failed.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC Two | GB News | ITV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahmed cannot be deported to Pakistan because of the Immigration Act 1971, which prevents removal of Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 and had lived in the UK for at least five years. | ||||
| Ahmed is due to be released from prison on 2 July 2026 after serving 14 years of his 19-year sentence. | ||||
| Andy Burnham called on the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options to deport Ahmed, saying nothing is off the table. | ||||
| Shabir Ahmed was the ringleader of the Rochdale grooming gang, convicted in 2012 of multiple child rape and sexual offences, and sentenced to 19 years in prison. | ||||
| The government said it is exploring all possible options regarding Ahmed's deportation, including looking at the law preventing deportation. | · | · | ||
| Upon release, Ahmed will be on licence, placed on the sex offender register for life, banned from contacting children, and required to wear an electronic tag. | · | · | ||
| A victim, referred to as Ruby, said she is scared for her safety and her children's safety, and that no dedicated support team has been put in place. | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
5 News focused on the human impact of the release, giving voice to the victims' fear and sense of betrayal. The report included a lawyer representing victims who said they were 'appalled' and 'scared for their wellbeing'. The channel also highlighted the political divide, quoting both a Conservative MP calling for deportation of all foreign criminals and Labour's Andy Burnham pushing for a review. The tone was sombre and critical of the legal loophole.
- “They just feel let down. And then to find out this today about a significant perpetrator who has been convicted of over 30 offences against really vulnerable children, to be released back into the community, is just, they're just scared for their wellbeing and that of the family as well.”
- “I say that all foreign criminals should be deported, no matter when they arrive. That includes this despicable man, Shabir Ahmed, who organised the gang rape of girls as young as 12 years old.”
ITV Evening News framed the story around the political intervention by Andy Burnham, emphasising his pledge to do 'everything possible' to deport Ahmed. The report highlighted the growing anger and the legal barrier of the 1971 Act, but also noted that a minister said the law 'would be looked at'. The tone was focused on the political implications and the test for Burnham if he becomes PM.
- “Like everyone, I want this vile criminal out of the country. Victims must come first. I'll ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options and they should consider nothing is off the table.”
- “I don't want anyone like that being able to walk the streets in Britain and I imagine that is the same opinion of the Home Secretary and the British public. So if we need to look at things, I think the Home Office will be starting that work.”
Newsnight provided a detailed legal and political analysis, including a legal expert explaining the difficulty of retrospective law change due to Article 7 of the Human Rights Convention. The programme focused on the power of Andy Burnham's intervention, questioning whether he is already 'running the country'. The panel discussion contrasted Burnham's action with his previous lack of mention of immigration or grooming gangs in a major speech. The tone was analytical and questioning.
- “In a single tweet this afternoon we felt the full power of Andy Burnham. The man expected to become Prime Minister within weeks says he will ask the Home and Foreign Secretaries to review all possible options to deport the ringleader of a notorious Rochdale grooming gang.”
- “Could the law be changed again? Well, in principle, Parliament can do anything, but we don't normally impose a heavier penalty on somebody after they've committed an offence. And it would be contrary to Article 7 of the Human Rights Convention, so I really don't see that happening.”
GB News took a strongly outraged and populist tone, calling Ahmed a 'vile monster' and focusing on the 'archaic law' loophole. The panel criticised the system for focusing on the abuser rather than victims, and highlighted that Ahmed is being released after serving only 14 years of a 22-year sentence (concurrent sentences). The channel also praised Andy Burnham's tweet but questioned his sincerity, noting he had not mentioned immigration in a recent speech. The tone was angry and confrontational.
- “He's a vile monster of a human being multiple counts of rape about aiding abetting rape trafficking children girls and children as young as 12 years old”
- “It's a failure of the system, isn't it? It is a failure of the system in that but there have been a failed by everybody in the eyes by yes by by the police by their teachers by Even their parents sometimes”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.