Jailed Rochdale rapist still on the run after vanishing before trial

Wednesday, 1 October 2025 15:51

By David Murphy

Kasir Bashir, 50, was sentenced to 29 years in prison in his absence after being found guilty of abusing a vulnerable girl in Rochdale in the early 2000s.

He remains wanted by Greater Manchester Police, who say they will “find him no matter where he thinks he can hide”.

Kasir Bashir, 50, was sentenced in his absence to 29 years for his role in the abuse of a vulnerable teenage girl in Rochdale. Police say they are determined to find him.

Bashir was one of seven men convicted of grooming and raping two girls in the early 2000s. The others were jailed for lengthy terms after a five-month trial.

Victims Girl A and Girl B, who were around 13 at the time, were raped at shops, homes and in taxis. Girl B said Bashir’s disappearance felt like “his last bit of control over me”.

The abuse went unpunished for years until the victims came forward and identified their attackers. None of the men showed remorse.

Detectives praised the women’s bravery and vowed to keep pursuing the fugitive.

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