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BBC News
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
BBC announces Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping a new documentary series for BBC Three and iPlayer, made by BBC Studios
Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping is a new three-part documentary series featuring Chloe Ayling as she recounts, in her own words, the ordeal of her 2017 kidnapping and explores how it continues to shape her life. Giving her first documentary interview since her abductors' conviction, Chloe Ayling revisits the story of her time in captivity and tries to come to terms with what took place, the media reaction and why many people refused to believe her. In the summer of 2017, it was reported that twenty-year-old glamour model, Chloe Ayling, had been kidnapped in Italy by an International criminal gang known as Black Death. Turning up for what she believed to be a photoshoot in Milan, Chloe was grabbed from behind, drugged and bundled into a bag before being taken to a remote farmhouse and handcuffed to a chest of drawers. There, she was told she had six days before she would be sold as sex slave as part of a dark web auction. Despite the terrifying circumstances, Chloe was able to convince her captors to let her walk free and into the hands of the local authorities. However, in the immediate aftermath, with the Italian police investigation still ongoing, Chloe became the subject of global media speculation. Were her abductors really part of a sinister sex slavery ring? How did she persuade them to let her go? And why did Chloe seem so unaffected by what she'd been through? Then, ahead of the court case, as the perpetrators' own version of events was reported, the public were left questioning whether the crime was in fact a publicity stunt to further Chloe's modelling career. Her kidnapper, Lukasz Herba and his brother Michal Herba were subsequently found guilty by an Italian court and jailed. Eight years on, Chloe Ayling now wants to challenge any remaining doubters and finally put the past behind her. Through probing interviews with those involved, the series separates fact from perception and looks at the press coverage of this extraordinary case, the public reaction and asks how a survivor became a suspect. Chloe Ayling says: 'I'm delighted BBC Studios are telling my story - not only in my own words, but also through the voices of those directly involved. For years, people have doubted me, often because they don't understand what really happened — or who I am. I think this documentary truly unravels and dives deep into who I am, the events of the kidnapping, as well as the intense media aftermath that tried to define me. I think people will finally see through the headlines.' Katharine Patrick, Executive Producer says: 'This series enables Chloe to unpack the truth of what happened to her eight years ago, allowing her to process the ordeal she's been through in an honest and unflinching way, and make sense of the person she is now as a result.' Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, Documentaries, says: 'In Chloe's own words, this documentary series will explore what it means to be a victim, who becomes the focus of nationwide speculation and is still living with people's disbelief, eight years later." Fiona Campbell, Controller for Youth Audiences says: 'Chloe presents a brave and compelling perspective of her highly publicised case through this documentary which I hope will provide viewers with a new understanding of the real person behind the headlines.' Chloe Ayling: My Unbelievable Kidnapping is a three-part series for BBC Three and iPlayer made by BBC Studios Documentary Unit. The series is commissioned by Clare Sillery, Head of Commissioning, BBC Documentaries and Fiona Campbell, Controller for Youth Audiences, the Commissioning Editor is Tom Pullen. Executive Producer is Katharine Patrick; the Edit Executive Producer is Magnus Temple and Series Editor is Vivienne Perry. The series is directed by Stuart Bernard and Miles Bladen-Ryall and will be distributed internationally by BBC Studios. GJ Follow for more
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Hunt for fugitive Rochale grooming gang member who was found guilty of raping and abusing teenage girl as police warn him 'you can run but you can't hide'
One of the seven men convicted of exploiting two young girls as 'sex slaves' has gone on the run, police have revealed. The gang preyed on the vulnerabilities of the victims to groom them from the age of 13 over a five-year-long campaign of abuse between 2001 and 2006. Kasir Bashir, 50, was absent throughout his trial - despite answering bail on a weekly basis since being charged in 2023. In his absence, the abuser was convicted by a jury of two counts of rape, as well as two counts of indecency with a child. He is being actively sought by GMP, the force confirmed, and is officially a wanted man. It comes as three members of the gang were locked up partway through their trial following 'intelligence' that they planned to flee to Pakistan. Police said they are determined to find Bashir 'no matter where he thinks he can hide'. Anyone with information about Bashir's whereabouts have been urged to contact police or Crimestoppers, anonymously. Detective Chief Inspector Guy Laycock, the senior investigation officer on the case, said: 'The men who committed this horrific abuse have now been found guilty of their abhorrent crimes. One defendant, Kasir Bashir cowardly avoided the whole trial and thought he could escape justice. 'This is in stark contrast to the survivors who gave brave and painful testimony over the four-month trial in front of the men that so badly abused them. We will do all we can to find Bashir and ensure justice is fully served for them. 'Time was no barrier to bringing these groomers to justice, and Bashir evading the trial, will not stop us ensuring he now faces the full consequences of his actions.' Both female victims of the gang had 'deeply troubled home lives' and were given drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, places to stay and people to be with, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard. They were expected to have sex 'whenever and wherever' the defendants and other men wanted in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. Jurors deliberated for three weeks before delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts today. Rochdale is now not synonymous with the great achievements of the Industrial Revolution but with what has become known as Asian grooming gangs, the men's trial heard The gang's convictions in full Mohammed Zahid was convicted of ten counts of rape; four counts of indecency with a child; five counts of procuring a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse; and one count of attempt to procure a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse. Kasir Bashir was convicted of two counts of rape; and two counts of indecency with a child. Mushtaq Ahmed was convicted of four counts of rape; four counts of indecency with a child; and one count of procuring a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse. Roheez Khan was convicted of one count of rape. Mohammed Shahzad was convicted of five counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Nisar Hussain was convicted of two counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Naheem Akram was convicted of six counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration Three of the abusers, Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Bashir - all born in Pakistan - were stallholders on Rochdale's indoor market. The gang's depraved ringleader Zahid was even known as 'Knickerman' because of his underwear stall at the centuries-old trading hub. The pot-bellied, wispy-haired father-of-three exploited his products' appeal to young girls to lure in vulnerable youngsters who were then subjected to 'years of misery'. In 2016, Zahid was jailed for five years in an earlier grooming gang case after he engaged in sexual activity in 2006 with a 15-year-old girl who he met when she visited his stall to buy tights for school. Bashir did not attend the current trial as jurors were ordered not to speculate why but it can be revealed that he absconded while on bail before the trial got under way. It can also be reported that co-defendants Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41, were remanded in custody with their bail revoked in January before the jury was sworn in. A seventh defendant, Pakistani-born Roheez Khan, 39, also featured in another previous Rochdale grooming trial in 2013 when he was one of five men convicted of sexually exploiting a 'profoundly vulnerable' 15-year-old girl in 2008 and 2009. Khan was jailed for six-and-a-half years for engaging in sexual activity with a child and witness intimidation. Starting when they were aged just 13, two terrified girls were 'passed around' for sex between fellow traders and taxi drivers – all from Rochdale's Pakistani community - between 2001 and 2006. They would then be callously 'discarded', jurors in a ten-week trial heard. Following a string of successful prosecutions which made the Greater Manchester town grimly synonymous with the scourge of grooming gangs, the victims – now in their 30s – decided to come forward to seek justice over their ordeals.
Daily Mail
13-06-2025
- Daily Mail
Moment Asian Rochdale sex groomers turn on each other: Paedophiles who raped teenage girls nearly come to blows in police station as they blame each other
This is the shocking moment two members of a vile Rochdale grooming gang that exploited two young girls as sex slaves turned on each other in a police station. Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41, came close to trading blows as they blamed each other for being part of the Asian gang that raped teenage girls. The pair were both being questioned at Bury police station in 2017 over the serious sexual assault of one of the victims, known as Girl A, when when the fight broke out. Former taxi driver Akram, who was accused of raping and abusing the girl, pointed at Hussain and called him a grass, before trying to punch him. Hussian, who filmed a video of the same teenager being abused, later confirmed to police he had been assaulted but decided not to prosecute. Minshull Street Crown Court heard that the police's interview with Akram took a 'significant turn' as he was being released. Describing the incident, prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC told the hearing: 'As that process was ongoing, Mr Akram started to lose his cool with the officers in the area with him. 'He began shouting that they had got it all wrong and that they were not doing their job properly. But in the same area of the police station, also being interviewed that day was Nisar Hussain. This is the shocking moment two members of a vile Rochdale grooming gang that exploited two young girls as sex slaves turned on each other in a police station Naheem Akram, 48, (left) and Nisar Hussain, 41, (right) came close to trading blows as they blamed each other for being part of the Asian gang that raped teenage girls 'Mr Akram saw him and shouted, 'there was four people in that car and it was not me or Shahzad, it was f****** him' and he pointed at Nisar Hussain and called him a "grass".' 'As the two men got closer to each other, Mr Akram began trying to punch Mr Hussain,' the KC added. Police released CCTV footage of the assault today after all seven members of the grooming gang were convicted of exploiting two young girls as 'sex slaves'. The gang preyed on the vulnerabilities of the victims to groom them from the age of 13 over a five-year-long campaign of abuse between 2001 and 2006. Both girls had 'deeply troubled home lives' and were given drugs, alcohol, cigarette, places to stay and people to be with, Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard. They were expected to have sex 'whenever and wherever' the defendants and other men wanted in filthy flats, on rancid mattresses, in cars, car parks, alleyways and disused warehouses. Jurors deliberated for three weeks before delivering their unanimous guilty verdicts on Friday. Three of the abusers, Mohammed Zahid, 64, Mushtaq Ahmed, 67, and Kasir Bashir, 50, - all born in Pakistan - were stallholders on Rochdale's indoor market. The gang's depraved ringleader Zahid was even known as 'Knickerman' because of his underwear stall at the centuries-old trading hub. The pot-bellied, wispy-haired father-of-three exploited his products' appeal to young girls to lure in vulnerable youngsters who were then subjected to 'years of misery'. Top row, left to right: Kasir Bashir, Mohammed Shahzad; middle row, left to right: Mushtaq Ahmed, Roheez Khan; bottom row, left to right: Naheem Akram, Nisar Hussain In 2016, Zahid was jailed for five years in an earlier grooming gang case after he engaged in sexual activity in 2006 with a 15-year-old girl who he met when she visited his stall to buy tights for school. Bashir did not attend the current trial as jurors were ordered not to speculate why but it can be revealed that he absconded while on bail before the trial got under way. It can also be reported that co-defendants Mohammed Shahzad, 44, Naheem Akram, 48, and Nisar Hussain, 41, were remanded in custody with their bail revoked in January before the jury was sworn in. A seventh defendant, Pakistani-born Roheez Khan, 39, also featured in another previous Rochdale grooming trial in 2013 when he was one of five men convicted of sexually exploiting a 'profoundly vulnerable' 15-year-old girl in 2008 and 2009. Khan was jailed for six-and-a-half years for engaging in sexual activity with a child and witness intimidation. Starting when they were aged just 13, two terrified girls were 'passed around' for sex between fellow traders and taxi drivers – all from Rochdale's Pakistani community - between 2001 and 2006. They would then be callously 'discarded', jurors in a ten-week trial heard. Following a string of successful prosecutions which made the Greater Manchester town grimly synonymous with the scourge of grooming gangs, the victims – now in their 30s – decided to come forward to seek justice over their ordeals. In harrowing detail, one described her terror as she was raped by 'massive' and 'aggressive' paedophile. Heartbreakingly it also heard how the girl - at the time living in a children's home - was scandalously dismissed by social workers as having been 'prostituting' herself from the age of ten. As the pair's abusers now face lengthy prison terms, it can be revealed that two – including Zahid, who also used the nickname 'Bossman' - have already spent time behind bars over Rochdale child sex rings. Jurors also weren't told that the three British-born members of the gang were locked up partway through the trial following 'intelligence' that they planned to flee to Pakistan. A fourth skipped bail as the case got underway and was tried in his absence - his whereabouts are unknown. They are the first Asian grooming gang to be brought to justice since Labour faced accusations of a cover-up for resisting calls for a public inquiry into how a generation of girls were betrayed by police and social services. And today the Conservatives renewed their calls for the national inquiry to take place. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: 'The crimes committed by these men are sickening. Their victims were raped and abused for years, and the youngest was just 13 years old. 'It should not have taken 20 years to get these convictions. The gang's convictions in full Mohammed Zahid was convicted of ten counts of rape; four counts of indecency with a child; five counts of procuring a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse; and one count of attempt to procure a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse. Kasir Bashir was convicted of two counts of rape; and two counts of indecency with a child. Mushtaq Ahmed was convicted of four counts of rape; four counts of indecency with a child; and one count of procuring a girl under 21 to have unlawful sexual intercourse. Roheez Khan was convicted of one count of rape. Mohammed Shahzad was convicted of five counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Nisar Hussain was convicted of two counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration. Naheem Akram was convicted of six counts of rape; and one count of assault by penetration 'Not a single person in authority has ever been held to account for covering up crimes like these, and for ignoring the victims. 'It's time for a national statutory inquiry to get to the truth about the cover ups. I will push this to a vote in Parliament next Wednesday - but so far Labour has refused to have one, which simply continues the cover up. If they vote against a proper inquiry next week, it will be a day of shame for Labour.' According to one estimate, upwards of 250,000 girls have been attacked repeatedly by street gangs in 50 British towns and cities over the past 40 years. Today's convictions represent the eighth time that a group of men of mainly Pakistani heritage have been convicted of grooming girls for sex in Rochdale in the early 2000s. The court previously heard that 'if a man wanted sex with a young girl, he would pay Zahid a modest sum of money and a girl would be supplied'. 'That's how it worked in Rochdale,' prosecutor Rossano Scamardella KC added. Girls would meet up with groups of Asian men in parks, woods, on the moors and at a snooker hall. They would be given alcohol, cigarettes and drugs and driven around and taken to flats and houses, with the abuse also taking place in cars, alleyways or disused warehouses Pakistan-born Zahid has previously been jailed for sexual activity with a child over a previous Rochdale grooming case – jurors in the latest trial were told that the 64-year-old had previously been to prison 'for sexual offending'. Zahid cynically targeted youngsters shopping for underwear, identifying those with troubled backgrounds living in children's homes or foster care. Under the guise of 'work experience', he encouraged two 13-year-olds to hang around his stall at Rochdale's indoor market and that run by another perverted trader, Kasir Bashir. Bashir skipped bail at the outset of his trial but the case proceeded in his absence. Rochdale is now not synonymous with the great achievements of the Industrial Revolution but with what has become known as Asian grooming gangs, the men's trial heard Once trading had finished for the day, the grotesque pair would take the stock to a nearby shop, Maria Fashions, then run by another paedophile, co-defendant Mushtaq Ahmed. Already duped by Zahid's superficially friendly manner and the offer of small amounts of cash or free underwear, the girls would naively agree to enter the store's dingy cellar. Here they would strip off and wait to be joined by men who raped and sexually assaulted them on a filthy mattress. Trapped by an uncaring system which treated underage abuse victims as 'prostitutes', it was the start of a nightmarish descent into being used as 'sex slaves'. Afterwards they would be 'discarded… like rubbish', jurors were told. Mr Scamardella told jurors that between 2001 and 2006, both victims' lives were 'destroyed by these men and others like them'. 'They both endured years of misery being sexually abused by almost every man with which they came into contact.' He added that the abuse had taken place 'under the noses of social workers and others who should have done far more to protect them'. Bashir's whereabouts are unknown – he answered bail in the run-up to the men's trial, but vanished when it started back in January. Like Zahid and former shopkeeper Ahmed he was born in Pakistan, as was fellow gang member Roheez Khan. The other three convicted today - Mohammed Shazad, Nisar Hussain and Naheem Akram – were all born in Rochdale but were remanded in custody partway through following 'intelligence' that they planned to flee to Pakistan. An eighth man was formally found not guilty on all counts partway through the trial after the prosecution said there was no longer 'a realistic prospect of conviction'. Arfan Khan, 40, from Rochdale, had been accused of four sex offences, including two counts of rape. All seven of those convicted today are British citizens – however any with dual nationality could potentially face proceedings to strip them of their UK passports and deport them to Pakistan when they are released from prison. Mohammed Zahid, 64 Known as 'Bossman' to his fellow paedophiles, with his 'pot belly and wispy hair', the apparently unthreatening Zahid was mockingly dubbed 'Knickerman' by the girls whose abuse he masterminded. Ringleader of the latest grooming gang to face justice, Pakistan-born Zahid ran an underwear stall on Rochdale market in the early 2000s. Even experienced detectives were shocked at uncovering the extent of his depravity, branding the married father-of-three 'manipulative, controlling and clearly dangerous'. Then in his 40s, Zahid used it to target vulnerable girls as young as 13 – earning their trust by feigning sympathy for the tough start to life they had endured. One of the victims described him as coming across 'dead soft-natured' and 'like he actually gave a c**p' – something she had encountered all too rarely from adults in her life. Having groomed them, Zahid would offer the girls to fellow paedophiles to sexually abuse in exchange for money. Zahid 'led the way in Rochdale in child sexual exploitation', jurors were told. 'If a man wanted sex with a young girl, he would pay Zahid a modest sum of money and a girl would be supplied,' Rossano Scamardella KC said. He was the only gang member accused of sexually assaulting both victims in the current trial. Zahid was previously jailed for sexual activity with a child over an earlier Rochdale grooming trial. Kasir Bashir, 50 A second trader at Rochdale Market, the 'massive' and 'aggressive' paedophile ran a stall selling shoes and socks. Bashir helped Zahid groom Girl B before both abused her in the cellar beneath a nearby shop where they stored their wares overnight. Girl B became pregnant by Bashir when she was just 14 and he was 26. In a harrowing account, Girl B recalled being raped by a huge, bushy-haired man with an enormous stomach, massive nose and big lips when she was 13. 'He just looks aggressive,' she told a detective. 'He didn't have a soft face. It was just like stern. With him I felt like it wasn't right'. Girl B added: 'He was heavy. I can literally feel him on top of me, even now. 'I can see him on top of me. I can see him in the corner of the room. I remember it hurting. 'He was big and so I didn't want to do it. He was the one I didn't want to be near.' Pakistan-born Bashir answered bail in the run-up to the men's trial but vanished when it started back in January. He was tried in his absence and branded 'a liar' by prosecutors. Mushtaq Ahmed, 67 Ran clothing store Maria Fashion where his friends, perverted market traders Zahid and Bashir, stored their produce overnight. Helped sexually abuse terrified girls on a dirty mattress in the cellar beneath the store, now under new ownership. Prosecutors said Pakistan-born Ahmed was 'cunning and manipulative' and had told 'lie after lie after lie' when he reality he 'liked to have sex with children'. One of only two members of the gang to give evidence in their defence, Ahmed said he came to Britain in 1988. He previously ran market stalls in Rochdale, Oldham and Bradford. Ahmed was arrested after victim Girl B spotted him selling fruit and vegetables out of a van near a school. Roheez Khan, 39 Roheez Khan, 39 Nicknamed 'Cockeyed Taz' due to having a lazy eye, he arrived from Pakistan in 2005 and 'wasted no time' in finding girls to abuse, the trial heard. Khan – who became part of the gang due to having a friend who worked for a taxi firm - was jailed for the abuse of a 15-year-old girl in 2013 in an unrelated case. Girl A said she regularly had sex with Khan after meeting up while still in her school uniform. 'Like his friend Zahid, he couldn't help himself,' Mr Scamardella said. Mohammed Shahzad, 44 Nicknamed 'Zero', the taxi driver met Girl A when she was 13 and tricked her into believing he was 'an actual friend'. But after swapping phone numbers, he went onto have sex with her 'every week', the trial heard. One of three gang members born in Rochdale, Shahzad was remanded in custody partway through following 'intelligence' he planned to flee to Pakistan. Nisar Hussain, 41 Nisar Hussain, 41 Born in Rochdale, he was remanded in custody partway through following 'intelligence' he planned to flee to Pakistan. Another taxi driver and known as Niss, he filmed Girl A being sexually abused after being plied with drugs by co-defendant Shahzad. Naheem Akram, 48 Naheem Akram, 48 Another taxi driver, known to the victim as 'Lala', he met Girl A when co-defendant Shazad invited her to a 'sesh' and gave her Ecstasy. Hussain filmed her being sexually abused, the trial heard. Shahzad then blackmailed her by saying he would circulate the footage unless she had sex with him and Akram, who she branded 'horrible'. She complied, but after raping her they cruelly shared the humiliating clip anyway, she said. Following his arrest, Akram was caught on CCTV lashing out at co-accused Nisar Hussain and branding him a 'grass' after both were interviewed at Bury police station in February 2017.
Sky News
13-06-2025
- Sky News
Seven men used two teenage girls as 'sex slaves' in Rochdale
Seven men have been found guilty of using two teenage girls as "sex slaves" in Rochdale. Their trial at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester heard evidence in relation to 53 sexual offences, believed to have been committed between 2001 and 2006, over 72 days. One of the victims, who is now in her 30s, told the jury that s he was labelled a "prostitute" by social services in Rochdale when allegations against the men first came to light. Their trial was told she and the other victim were groomed from the age of 13 and forced to have sex with the men "whenever and wherever" they wanted. Please refresh the page for the latest version.
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Rochdale gang found guilty of treating girls as 'sex slaves'
Seven men have been found guilty of treating two teenage girls in Rochdale as "sex slaves". The gang were convicted at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court of various sexual offences against the 13-year-old girls between 2001 and 2006. This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
