Furious residents confront return of convicted grooming gang leader Qari Rauf who walks freely on same Rochdale street where his victims once lived

Imagine discovering that someone at the centre of one of the country’s most horrifying grooming scandals is not only living freely—but doing so just down your street.

That’s the harsh reality for residents in a quiet neighbourhood in Rochdale, where locals say their lives have been turned upside down after learning that convicted grooming gang ringleader Qari Rauf is back in the area.

For many, it feels like the justice system has completely failed them—and worse, that it’s protecting the wrong person.

A Convicted Abuser Walks Free in Rochdale

Qari Rauf, now 55, was one of nine men jailed back in 2012 for raping and trafficking vulnerable girls across northern England.

The case shook the country to its core. He was supposed to be deported to Pakistan after serving just over two years of a six-year sentence.

But more than a decade later, he’s still here.

Rauf managed to avoid deportation by destroying his passport and claiming he was stateless.

Even after losing a deportation appeal in 2018, he’s remained in the UK.

And now, locals say he’s living in a terraced house—right in the same community where many of his victims once lived.

“We Don’t Feel Safe Anymore”

Neighbours say they’re terrified for their children.

Angie Harrison, a mother of two young girls, explained how she now watches her kids in the garden like a hawk.

“It’s like being a prison guard,” she said.

“He’s throwing parties, there are people coming and going—we don’t feel safe.”

And it’s not just the atmosphere that’s unsettling.

Angie says she was told by police that Rauf has a panic button installed in his house, directly linked to Greater Manchester Police for his protection.

“We asked officers to remove him, and they just said he’s ‘done his time’,” she added, shaking her head in disbelief.

“I’d Pay for His Passport Myself to Get Him Gone”

Child minder Anita Howarth, who lives just two doors down, didn’t hold back.

“I’ll pay for him to get a passport if it means he leaves,” she said.

“The system has failed us. Every time I see him, I’m reminded of what he did.”

Residents say Rauf now walks the street confidently, wearing Western clothing unless he’s with friends.

“He acts like nothing happened,” another woman said.

“It’s as if he owns the street.”

A Community Still Haunted by His Crimes

Lena Carter, who has lived on the street for nearly 30 years, remembers her daughters playing in Rauf’s back garden—though thankfully, never entering his house.

“He broke the law, but he knows how to work the system,” she said.

“He’s been banned from the local mosque, but here he is, walking around like it’s all in the past.”

She added that local businesses have shut down, the high street has changed, and trust in the authorities has crumbled.

“I can’t believe he’s had the nerve to come back here,” she said.

“What’s worse is the police protect him more than they protect us.”

Locals Say “Enough Is Enough”

Another neighbour, whose daughter was a teenager during the time the grooming ring operated, said the sense of betrayal runs deep.

“He used to seem like a nice guy, cooking for people.

But now we know the truth. No one wants him here.”

One woman even admitted she yells “paedo” from her window when she sees him.

“He just doesn’t care,” she said. “I’m shocked his windows haven’t been smashed.”

A man who lives nearby added, “I was ready to smash his windows, but I was told I can’t.

We’re the ones under watch, not him.”

The Justice System Has Left Residents Feeling Powerless

Perhaps the most painful part for many is how powerless they feel.

“His son drives him around, and he always looks smug,” said one resident.

“He was allowed to do the school run after prison—how was that even allowed?”

Others believe Rauf has gone into hiding again now that tensions are high.

“He’ll lay low until the fuss dies down, and then he’ll just come back again like nothing happened,” one woman predicted.

“We’re Left Living in Fear, While He Lives His Life”

For this Rochdale community, the return of Qari Rauf is not just upsetting—it’s infuriating.

Parents say they don’t feel safe letting their kids play outside.

Some are even considering moving, despite having lived on the street for decades.

“He walks around like he’s done nothing wrong,” one resident said.

“But we haven’t forgotten. And we’re the ones paying the price for the system’s failure.”