The Crown Prosecution Service and the police have apologised for failing one victim of the gang convicted on Tuesday of involvement in a child exploitaiton ring by not bringing the case to trial sooner.
The first victim, who was 15 when the abuse began, told the police what had been happening to her in August 2008.
She specifically spoke of her abuse at the hands of the 59-year-old and Kabeer Hassan.
Her complaint was not taken seriously and she carried on being abused by the gang until December 2008 when she fell pregnant and moved away.
In July 2009 a CPS lawyer then compounded the police failure to take her seriously and made the decision not to charge the two men because he did not think a jury would find her "credible".
This decision was taken despite police having DNA from the 59-year-old, collected from three separate pairs of the victim's underwear.
The police also failed to appeal against this decision and girls continued to be abused by the gang until more allegations came to light in 2010.
The botched inquiry is now being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
Nazir Afzal, chief crown prosecutor for the North West, said the decision not to proceed with the 2008 case pre-dated his arrival in the region.
But when he did take up his post he reviewed the case and immediately decided to overturn the "wrong" decision not to charge the first two men as he believed the victim was "entirely credible".
Asked if the CPS failed the girl, Mr Afzal said: "Had these two individuals been charged back in 2009 it may well have been that she would not have been passed around as the evidence suggests that she has been. I recognise that. I understand that.
"It's not something that I am extremely proud about. The point is that as soon as I had the opportunity to change that decision, I did."
Mr Afzal added: "In relation to that victim I can understand her concerns. I do more than that, I regret those concerns and I would apologise to her personally. I recognise the lawyer who dealt with the decision back in 2008 formed a view about whether a jury would believe her. I take a different view."
The lawyer who made the error has now been taken off rape and sexual offence cases.
Mr Afzal said he would "look into" whether any of the lawyer's past cases needed to be re-examined.
Greater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Steve Heywood said the force should have done more for the victim in 2008.
He said: "I can say she didn't get the service she deserved. She was vulnerable, she needed help. We didn't give her the help that she needed and I apologise for that. We could have done better. In 2012, we are now in a different position and we understand the problem better than we did."
He urged all victims of sexual abuse to be confident in reporting it to the police, saying that "he guaranteed" they would be "treated seriously".
GMP said it referred the case to social services in Rochdale after the girl reported the rapes in August 2008.
However, the victim - who had moved out of her parent's home and was living with the family of another teenager who the trial heard was recruiting young girls for the gang - was not taken into care.
Instead she was left with the recruiter and suffered further abuse until her escape from the gang when she fell pregnant.
Cheryl Eastwood, executive director for children, schools and families at Rochdale Borough Council, said: "We, along with other agencies working with the young women involved in the recent court case are now aware, with the benefit of hindsight, recent local learning and national safeguarding initiatives, that we missed some opportunities to offer more support and assistance to them in 2008 and 2009.
"We deeply regret that and are confident that we are now more able to intervene earlier and more robustly when cases of concern are brought to our attention.
"We applaud the bravery of these young women in bringing these cases to court, and are pleased that staff from a variety of agencies have been able to support them."
She added: "The education of all staff has now improved to such an extent that they now see child sexual exploitation as part of a wider pattern of behaviour and offending.
"Therefore, reports of abuse are no longer taken in isolation and treated as stand-alone crimes. This new approach includes much earlier involvement with key partners such as children's services and the police."