A further 12 men have been charged in connection with the sexual abuse of eight young girls in Rotherham as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into child abuse among predominantly Muslim grooming gangs.
Aged between 33 and 38, the men are accused of a total of 44 offences including rape and false imprisonment, and brings the number charged under Operation Stovewood — the Agency’s probe into historical child sex abuse in the Yorkshire town — to 21.
The latest charges are related to eight girls under the age of 16, over a five year period from 1998 to 2008, according to the NCA.
Mohammed Ashan, 33, and Waseem Khaliq, 33, each of whom face indecent assault and rape charges, and 33-year-old Masaeud Malik, charged with one count of indecent assault, remain in custody according to the NCA’s press release.
Nabeel Kurshid, 34, and Iqlak Yousaf, 33, each face two allegations of rape and one of indecent assault, whilst 38-year-old Amjal Rafiq has been charged with false imprisonment and indecent assault.
Mohammed Imran Ali Akhtar, 36, Tanweer Ali, 36, Aftab Hussain, 38, and Abid Saddiq, 36, each face a string of accusations including indecent assault and rape, according to the Daily Mail.
Salah Ahmed El-Hakam, 38, is charged with one count of rape, whilst 33-year-old Sharaz Hussain faces one count of indecent assault.
All 12 men are due to appear at Sheffield Crown Court on the 24th of October.
Senior investigating officer, Paul Williamson, said: “We have now charged 21 men with over 94 child sexual abuse offences and expect this number to increase as more victims come forward.
“Officers are investigating more than 80 suspects and with the support of partner agencies, are currently engaging with 235 victims.
“Our focus is to bring lasting and worthwhile benefits for victims, helping to build better futures.
“We will listen to their accounts and investigate allegations made to identify and bring offenders to justice.
“This focus has not wavered and we, along with our partners will persist in our efforts to make Rotherham a hostile environment for child sex offenders.”
In 2014, the government’s Jay report revealed that more than 1,400 children had been raped, trafficked, and sexually abused in Rotherham by gangs of mostly Muslim men.
The NCA set up Operation Stovewood after an independent inquiry conducted in 2014 found evidence that both South Yorkshire police and the local council had turned a blind eye to the abuse for fear of being accused of racism, and out of concern that taking action would damage “community relations”.
Breitbart London reported last year how almost 200 police officers were under investigation by the police watchdog for conspiring to cover up the abuse.