Oldham child gang-rape suspect later attempted to murder wife

"The man, named only as Offender J in paperwork seen by the Guardian, is alleged to have taken part in the gangrape of 12-year-old Samantha Walker-Roberts in Oldham, Greater Manchester, in 2006. Offender J tried to kill his wife in 2009. Two years earlier, he had been named by the ringleader, Shakil Chowdhury, as an alleged accomplice in Walker-Roberts's abuse but Greater Manchester police failed to follow up on this and closed the case."

"Dozens of items recovered from Chowdhury's home, where Walker-Roberts says she was raped for hours by five men, were destroyed by officers or returned to Chowdhury. She was trafficked around the town to be abused by several groups of men after being kidnapped from a police station where she had tried to report an earlier assault. The Guardian understands that Offender J is now unlikely to face charges in relation to Walker-Roberts's ordeal because the surviving forensic evidence does not link him to her abuse."

"Chowdhury, jailed for six years in 2007, remains the only man to be convicted in the case, but Walker-Roberts was told last month that officers were pursuing two outstanding suspects. Sarwar Ali absconded after being charged with rape and has never been traced. Police are trying to identify a third man forensically linked to the case. The Guardian understands he appears not to have come to police attention before."

An alleged participant in the 2006 gangrape of 12-year-old Samantha Walker-Roberts was named by the ringleader but was not pursued by Greater Manchester police, and the case was closed. Evidence and dozens of items recovered from the ringleader's home were destroyed or returned. The victim was trafficked around the town and abused by multiple groups after being kidnapped from a police station where she had sought help. The named suspect later attempted to murder his wife. Surviving forensic evidence does not link him to the abuse, and he is unlikely to face charges. One ringleader was convicted and jailed; two other suspects remain outstanding.

Read at www.theguardian.com