Nineteen men have been sentenced to a total of 286 years in prison for the rape and sexual abuse of three girls, one of whom was just 12 at the time
Nineteen men have been jailed for a total of 286 years for the “truly appalling” rape and sexual abuse of “vulnerable girls”.
The offences – spanning from 1995 to 2003 – were committed largely in the West Yorkshire towns of Dewsbury and Batley against three girls, one of whom was just 12 at the time.
Proceedings began at Leeds Crown Court in July 2023, with six separate trials taking place. The last of these concluded in September 2024, and the final suspect was sentenced in 2025.
Reporting restrictions put in place to “safeguard the fairness and integrity of the court process” have now been lifted, West Yorkshire Police said in a press release on Tuesday.
The men are:
- Ansar Mahmood Qayum, 49, from Dewsbury, sentenced to 10 years for three offences of rape and two offences of indecent assault. This sentence was added to an existing 20 sentence imposed on Qayum at court in a separate trial in another case in 2022, making a total sentence of 30 years.
- Sajid Majid, 53, from Mirfield, sentenced to 28 years for five offences of rape and three offences of indecent assault.
- Manaf Hussain, 51, from Heckmondwike, sentenced to 25 years for six offences of rape and an offence of supplying Class A drugs.
- Tariq Azam, 57, from Dewsbury, sentenced to 24 years for five offences of rape and four offences of indecent assault.
- Zulfiqar Ali, 47, from Dewsbury, sentenced to 22 years, six months for four offences of rape.
- Aurrangzeb Azam, 56, from Dewsbury, sentenced to 20 years for 10 offences of rape and an offence of indecent assault.
- Shakeel Haq, 58, from Birmingham, sentenced to 19 years for three offences of rape and an offence of false imprisonment.
- Rafiq Patel, 73, from Batley was sentenced to 18 years for two offences of rape.
- Zaheed Ali Novsarka, 58, from Batley, sentenced to 18 years for two offences of rape.
- Mohammed Sheikh, 53, from Batley, sentenced to 14 years for two offences of rape and two offences of indecent assault
- Mohammed Yasin, 52, from Batley, sentenced to 14 years for an offence of rape and two indecent assaults.
- Liaquat Hussain Hanif, 49, from Batley, sentenced to 12 years, six months for two offences of rape and an offence of supplying Class A drugs.
- Ebrahim Mananiat, 56, from Batley, sentenced to 12 years for two offences of rape.
- Ibrahim Khalifa, 87, from Bradford, sentenced to 11 years for two offences of rape.
- Shafiq Siddique, 56, from Dewsbury, sentenced to 11 years for an offence of rape.
- Mohammed Munir Shaffi, 48, from Dewsbury, sentenced to nine years for two offences of rape.
- Mohammed Ishtiaq Hussain, 51, from Dewsbury, sentenced to eight years for an offence of rape.
- Abbas Kaji, 57, from Batley, sentenced to seven years for an offence of rape.
- Tasawar Hussain, 46, from Dewsbury, sentenced to three years for an offence of rape.
In addition, Donna Lynn, 45, from Cleckheaton, was sentenced to three years for an offence of controlling prostitution.
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Stevens, from Kirklees District Police, said: “This has been a major investigation into truly appalling sexual abuse of vulnerable girls in Kirklees by a large number of sexual predators.
“Over an almost two-year period, juries have heard some shocking revelations about the dreadful way victims were abused by those involved.
“They were repeatedly sexually assaulted, in some cases given Class A drugs, and very much treated as commodities for the gratification of heartless predators.”
He said the longer sentences handed to some of the men, such as Azam’s 20-year sentence for 10 separate rapes, “speak volumes about their depravity and the abuse meted out to victims in this case”.
Det Ch Insp Stevens said the offending came to light as a result of the courage of the victims. “These women showed enormous bravery in giving evidence in lengthy trials and I hope they can feel a sense of pride in the determination they have displayed to see justice done, and in seeing people who have no place in society being put behind bars,” he said.
Information on how to report non-recent child sexual exploitation and abuse, as well as support, can be found on West Yorkshire Police’s ‘When You Are Ready’ campaign at https://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/WhenYouAreReady.
