Nineteen men have been sentenced to a combined total of 286 years in prison for the "truly appalling" rape and sexual abuse of three vulnerable girls in West Yorkshire. The offences, which took place between 1995 and 2003, were largely committed in the towns of Dewsbury and Batley. One of the victims was just 12 years old at the time of the abuse.
Lengthy Legal Process
Proceedings began at Leeds Crown Court in July 2023, with six separate trials taking place. The last trial concluded in September 2024, and the final suspect was sentenced in 2025. Reporting restrictions, which had been imposed to "safeguard the fairness and integrity of the court process," have now been lifted, West Yorkshire Police confirmed in a press release on Tuesday.
Sentences Handed Down
The men sentenced include:
- Ansar Mahmood Qayum, 49, from Dewsbury, received 10 years for three offences of rape and two of indecent assault, added to an existing 20-year sentence from a separate case in 2022, totaling 30 years.
- Sajid Majid, 53, from Mirfield, was jailed for 28 years for five rapes and three indecent assaults.
- Manaf Hussain, 51, from Heckmondwike, received 25 years for six rapes and supplying Class A drugs.
- Tariq Azam, 57, from Dewsbury, was sentenced to 24 years for five rapes and four indecent assaults.
- Zulfiqar Ali, 47, from Dewsbury, got 22 years and six months for four rapes.
- Aurrangzeb Azam, 56, from Dewsbury, received 20 years for 10 rapes and an indecent assault.
- Shakeel Haq, 58, from Birmingham, was jailed for 19 years for three rapes and false imprisonment.
- Rafiq Patel, 73, from Batley, got 18 years for two rapes.
- Zaheed Ali Novsarka, 58, from Batley, received 18 years for two rapes.
- Mohammed Sheikh, 53, from Batley, was sentenced to 14 years for two rapes and two indecent assaults.
- Mohammed Yasin, 52, from Batley, got 14 years for one rape and two indecent assaults.
- Liaquat Hussain Hanif, 49, from Batley, received 12 years and six months for two rapes and supplying Class A drugs.
- Ebrahim Mananiat, 56, from Batley, was jailed for 12 years for two rapes.
- Ibrahim Khalifa, 87, from Bradford, got 11 years for two rapes.
- Shafiq Siddique, 56, from Dewsbury, received 11 years for one rape.
- Mohammed Munir Shaffi, 48, from Dewsbury, was sentenced to nine years for two rapes.
- Mohammed Ishtiaq Hussain, 51, from Dewsbury, got eight years for one rape.
- Abbas Kaji, 57, from Batley, received seven years for one rape.
- Tasawar Hussain, 46, from Dewsbury, was jailed for three years for one rape.
Additionally, Donna Lynn, 45, from Cleckheaton, was sentenced to three years for controlling prostitution.
Police Statement
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Stevens, from Kirklees District Police, described the investigation as a "major investigation into truly appalling sexual abuse of vulnerable girls in Kirklees by a large number of sexual predators." He added: "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."
Stevens noted that the longer sentences, such as Aurrangzeb Azam's 20-year term for 10 separate rapes, "speak volumes about their depravity and the abuse meted out to victims in this case." He praised the victims for their courage: "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."
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.
