🔴 Grooming Gang Rapist Vanishes Before Trial — And He’s Still Missing

Child groomer Kasir Bashir fled before facing trial for rape. He’s now convicted — but missing. Police hunt the grooming gang rapist who vanished on trial eve. A convicted rapist who groomed and repeatedly abused a vulnerable underage teen in Rochdale remains at large — seven months after vanishing on the eve of his trial.

50-year-old Kasir Bashir, once a market stall trader in Rochdale, was among seven men convicted of the historic sexual exploitation of two teenage girls. But while the others stood trial, Bashir disappeared. He was tried in absentia and found guilty — but has never faced sentencing. An international manhunt is now underway.

“Conspicuous by his absence”

Bashir vanished just days before proceedings began in January at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court. He had been on bail, apparently complying with strict conditions — surrendering his passport, checking in weekly at a police station, and residing at a designated address. But days before trial, he absconded, leaving behind lawyers and a defence case.

Police now admit they don’t know whether he’s still in the UK or fled abroad using false documents or assistance. If he has escaped the country, he did so illegally — without a passport and in breach of court orders.

Bashir was found guilty of two counts of rape and two counts of indecency with a child after a five-month trial that was plagued with disruptions, delays, and jury disputes.

Trial Collapsed Over Juror’s Note

The original jury was discharged after a note surfaced questioning whether Bashir had fled to Pakistan, asking about the nationalities of the defendants. The note, reportedly written by a former police officer, was deemed racially prejudiced by defence lawyers. The entire panel was dismissed, and the trial had to restart.

Even the second jury faced disruption. Two jurors were discharged mid-way through proceedings. In the final stages, jurors fell out, with one accused of refusing to engage in deliberations, making inappropriate remarks about victims, and verbally attacking other members. That juror was also dismissed, leaving a reduced panel of 10 — six women and four men — to deliver the final verdicts.

Despite the courtroom chaos, the jury ultimately convicted all seven men on a combined total of over 30 charges, including rape, indecency with a child, and assault by penetration.

Grooming & Abuse in a Dingy Flat

During the trial, jurors heard how Bashir exploited a vulnerable teenage girl in the early 2000s. He was in his mid-20s at the time and lured the victim to a dark, dirty flat in Oldham, where he repeatedly raped and degraded her.