Freed Rochdale grooming gang leader was judged ‘high risk’ to children in 2023

Exclusive: Shabir Ahmed, jailed in 2012 for rape, abuse and trafficking of girls, was deemed three years ago to present high risk of sexual offending'

The leader of the Rochdale grooming gang was deemed to pose a very high risk of serious harm" towards children just three years ago, the Guardian can reveal.

Shabir Ahmed, 73, was freed from HMP Leeds on Thursday despite three failed attempts to secure parole, the most recent of which was in October 2024. One document, relating to a previous review in 2023, shows Ahmed was seen to present a high risk of sexual offending".