SURVIVAL STORIES
SAMMY WOODHOUSE WAS ABUSED BY A GROOMING GANG AND WANTS TO SEE MORE DONE TO PROTECT CHILDREN
Sammy Woodhouse was just 15 when she got pregnant after being raped by Arshid Hussain, 43, the ringleader of Rotherham’s notorious grooming gang. He was brought to justice in 2016, when he was jailed for 35 years for multiple offences against nine victims, some as young as 11. In January this year, adamning new report examining the handling of Rochdale’s grooming gangs published new details that showed Greater Manchester Police and Rochdale Council had failed in their duty to protect victims and pursue predators. For Sammy, it brought back terrible memories. She says, “I was taken right back to 2013, when Istarted exposing the gangs in Rotherham, but nothing has changed. It’s 2024 and people are still turning ablind eye, despite all the evidence. Victims of horrendous crimes are still treated badly. There have been serious failures to protect children.”
Campaigner Sammy, who still lives in Rotherham, was 14 when she was groomed by the horrific child sex ring led by Hussain, who she first met at her local corner shop. She says, “Hussain was 24, but my friend knew him. When he offered to take us for aride in his flash car, Iwas impressed. Istarted seeing him more often and he showered me with compliments. Iskipped school so we could be together, and Ithought we were in love, so after amonth, we had sex. Ifelt flattered by his attention and we’d stay in hotels for days.”
VIOLENCE
Sammy’s parents contacted the police, but shockingly, were told there was nothing they could do. Sammy says, “I came from a respectable, close-knit family, and my parents were desperately worried. But they didn’t know how to cope and eventually Iwas put into care to keep me away from Hussain.” However, Sammy still kept seeing him, even though he began to beat her. She says, “I believed he was my boyfriend. And when Igot pregnant, Inaïvely thought we’d live happily ever after.” But the violence just got worse. Sammy says, “I tried to break up with Hussain, but he drove me to acliff and threatened to throw me off. Thankfully, he was jailed for aviolent attack shortly after. Iknew Ihad to keep my unborn child from him, so Icontacted my parents.”
Sammy moved back home, but when Hussain was released afew months later, he began terrorising her family – even setting fire to their house –until Sammy moved away. She continued to bring up her son, now 22, on her own but, in 2016, she realised something neededtobedone.Shesays,“Iunderstood what Hussain did to me was wrong. I’d received little support from the police, so I went to the media.” As a result, the police investigated, and Hussain and his brothers Basharat and Bannaras were convicted of abusing 50 girls.
