Twenty men have been found guilty of the “abhorrent” sexual abuse of girls as young as 12 and handed a combined 219 years behind bars.
The historic crimes, which took place between 2001 and 2010 in Calderdale, West Yorkshire, led to a series of individual investigations and trials as police pieced together the scale of the gang’s crimes.
Court restrictions, which have now been lifted, meant the press was unable to report on the almost-decade of abuse when police first launched their investigation in 2016.
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It comes after police launched an investigation into the alleged repeated sexual abuse of a vulnerable young girl between 2002 and 2006, begging when she was just 13.
A separate investigation into the abuse of two girls, aged 13 and 16, began in 2016.
A third investigation was launched two years later after allegations of a Calderdale in 2001 and 2002, she was also just 13 at the time.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith of Calderdale District Police, said: “Firstly, I want to acknowledge the sheer courage of the victims and survivors in each of these investigations; not only for having the bravery to come forward initially but also for enduring the criminal justice system and the weight of criminal trials and reporting restrictions in place.
“Due to legal restrictions, it has not been possible to publicise these outcomes until now. I welcome the sentences handed to these offenders for the abhorrent abuse these young girls were subjected to, which was heard by the jurors in each trial over the last few years.
“Tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse is a top priority for West Yorkshire Police and our partners. This is an abhorrent crime which has a lifelong impact on victims and survivors. I hope highlighting the prosecution of these offenders will serve as a reminder that we will continue to do all we can to put perpetrators behind bars and protect victims and survivors.
“It’s never too late to report child sexual abuse. I encourage anyone who was abused as a child to speak to someone and seek support. Reports of non-recent abuse are handled by officers who are specially trained in supporting victims and survivors and dealing with such sensitive cases.”
Following their sentencing, the men involved in the abuse, rape and assault have been named.
They include Malik Quadeer, 67, of Halifax, found guilty of five counts of rape, sentenced to 22 years behind bars and Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, found guilty of two counts of rape, who will spend 12 years in prison.
