Four “Asian” men have been found guilty for their roles in sexually grooming a 15-year-old girl, who the court heard the men passed around like a “piece of meat”.
The four grooming gang members — Shangar Ibrahimi, Kawan Omar Ahmed, Jasim Mohammed, and Nzar Anwar — were found guilty of rape. Another man, Saba Mohammed, was found guilty of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice. The men were convicted at Sheffield Crown Court on Wednesday and will appear in court on Friday 13 March to be sentenced.
The court was told by the prosecution that the men used the 15-year-old girl, now in her twenties, as a “piece of meat” and that she was “nothing more than an object” to them. The court heard that the rapists were “able to use and abuse her sexually for their own sexual gratification”, reports the Birmingham Mail.
A total of ten men were on trial for the sexual abuse of the teenage girl, who “was systematically groomed and exploited between 2010 and 2012 when she was aged 15-16” — but only five of the men were convicted.
Detective Inspector Rob Platts, the Senior Investigating Officer in the case, said: “The bravery of the victim has resulted in the conviction of five very dangerous offenders for serious sexual offences. While the jury found some of the defendants not guilty of the charges faced, their decision has to be respected.”
“The overall outcome demonstrates the complexity of these prosecutions and does not detract from the numerous guilty verdicts against five offenders.”
“She had to recount incredibly traumatic incidents of sexual abuse and exploitation in front of the jury over several days and it is testament to her bravery that she elected to do this in person. I am so pleased her voice has been heard.”
The grooming gang members would dose their young victim with alcohol and drugs, before subjecting her to sexual abuse and rape.
“At the time of the offending, the victim was incredibly vulnerable and was deliberately targeted for the purposes of sexual exploitation,” DI Platts explained.
“It is difficult to put into words the damage and impact of sexual exploitation on children, but I hope that by hearing this brave woman’s account, other victims of this awful crime find the strength to come forward and tell someone what has happened or is happening to them,” he added.
In January, it was revealed that police in Rotherham ignored decades of abuse committed by “Asian” grooming gangs for fear of sparking racial tensions in the area.
An Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) report found that a Rotherham chief inspector told a father of a missing girl that the city “would erupt” should the public be informed that “Asian” grooming gangs were sexually exploiting young white girls.
Follow Kurt on Twitter at @KurtZindulka
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