The full scale of the havoc wreaked by a band of Pakistani brothers who raped and abused dozens of girls in Rotherham was revealed yesterday as eight men were jailed for multiple crimes against vulnerable teenagers.
Among them was Sageer Hussain, 31, who was given a 19-year sentence for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old. It can now be reported that he was the youngest of four brothers, each of whom has been convicted this year of numerous sex-grooming offences in the South Yorkshire town.
Full text:
The full scale of the havoc wreaked by a band of Pakistani brothers who raped and abused dozens of girls in Rotherham was revealed yesterday as eight men were jailed for multiple crimes against vulnerable teenagers.
Among them was Sageer Hussain, 31, who was given a 19-year sentence for repeatedly raping a 13-year-old. It can now be reported that he was the youngest of four brothers, each of whom has been convicted this year of numerous sex-grooming offences in the South Yorkshire town.
The Hussain brothers, whose campaign of abuse in Rotherham was first exposed by The Times, have now been jailed for sex crimes against 16 girls, after two linked trials at Sheffield crown court.
For years, they were allowed to target, abuse and traffic girls with impunity as child protection authorities turned a blind eye to grooming of young white teenagers by groups of men, most of whom were from the town’s Pakistani community.
Sageer told his child victim that “all white girls” were slags, and worthless except for sex. He and seven associates were jailed for 16 offences from 1999 to 2003 against three girls who were said by a judge to have been “targeted, sexualised and subjected to degrading and violent acts”.
In a trial that ended in February, his three brothers had been jailed for grooming, raping and sexually assaulting 15 girls. Arshid, 41, the ringleader of a gang whose victims thought they “ruled Rotherham”, was jailed for 35 years. His brothers, Basharat Hussain, 40, and Bannaras Hussain, 37, were sentenced to 25 years and 19 years respectively. Basharat was sentenced again at court yesterday.
Police and social services held detailed intelligence about their activities for more than a decade before any action was taken against them.
In 2001 a mapping exercise warned that they were suspected of involvement in the sexual exploitation of more than 40 young teenagers including more than a dozen who “expressed the belief that Ash [Arshid’s nickname] was their boyfriend”.
The men jailed yesterday were convicted of 13 offences against one 13-year-old. In 2012, The Times told her story, detailing the systematic abuse she endured after police failed to investigate multiple allegations.
She went to the police in 2003 to report that she had been repeatedly raped by Sageer. No prosecution followed. The jury was told that police lost the girl’s clothes without carrying out any scientific analysis of them.
Passing sentence, Judge Sarah Wright told Sageer that he had conducted a “campaign of violent rape”.
She told the eight men: “The victim of all eight of you was vulnerable. She was just 13 to 14 years old.
“Although she had a loving and supportive family and was doing well at school as she was reaching adolescence, she was susceptible to the attention that you and others gave her. The childhood and adolescence of each of the victims can never be reclaimed.”
Detective Chief Inspector Martin Tate, who led the police inquiry, said that the victims showed “remarkable strength” by giving evidence.
“Operation Clover was launched in August 2013 after articles in The Times identified the Hussain brothers and accused them of serious crimes. Those four brothers raped and abused children and they showed no remorse for their abhorrent crimes.”
Sageer was jailed for four charges of rape and one of indecent assault. His brother, Basharat, was given a seven-year sentence for indecent assault to run concurrently with the 25-year jail term he is serving after being convicted of other sexual offences earlier this year.
Their six associates, including two of their cousins, were given sentences of 17 years, 15 years, 13 years, 12 years, eight years and five years for offences including rape, indecent assault and false imprisonment.
Rotherham Politics 
At what point does repeated gross criminal negligence and systemic dereliction of duty become indistinguishable from joint enterprise?
Why have no councillors, council officers, or police officers been prosecuted?
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the hundred million dollar question is why the police turned a blind eye ? blame must be laid at the police district commander at the time .
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Basharat’s sentences is to run concurrently when it should have been consecutively to his earlier sentence. Can’t help feeling that the despicable Akhtar, a man with criminal convictions and a relative of the Hussains being allowed to become deputy leader of the council and also vice chairman of the Police and Crime panel has some bearing of the culture of brazen, impunity that prevailed amongst them.
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Do you get the impression their getting bigger sentences, as the establishment tries to make up for its failure by burying these slimeballs.
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The maximum sentence for rape is life imprisonment, though every case has to be judged on it’s merits – remember “none of them” has shown any remorse at all.
I do not think it is too harsh that for the multiple rapes of a child plus all the other degrading treatment that was inflicted for years on their victims, their vile crimes should incur a full life tariff.
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Basharat has received no extra jail time due to concurrency of sentences. Zero. That’s disgusting.
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So now you lot know more about the law and the appropriate tariffs than presiding Judge the highly esteemed Judge Sarah Wright! Has it not occurred that she will have carefully considered the appropriate terms and the likelihood of successful appeal if she gets it wrong? Speechless.
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What is the point of going to all the time, trouble and expense of further court cases, if on being found guilty any prison sentence is to run concurrent with sentences they are already serving. It’s absurd that some of them will not serve one extra day in prison for these very serious crimes.
I haven’t criticised the judge who is of course bound by sentencing guidelines.
It’s the system that I’m criticising. I understand the victims are to sue the council and possibly the police. To make it plain to anyone else thinking of committing these sort of crimes if the perpetrators have any assets the victims’ legal team should be looking at claiming damages from them as well.
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I read your comments with interest Jeffrey. I am puzzled by your persistent defense of ‘systems’ that have proven to be not only ineffective but corrupt at the highest levels of society. You appear to accept without question the wisdom and benevolence of Community Leaders, Law Enforcement and the Judicial system even though these have proved repeatedly to have been often corrupt , cowardly and even criminal for decades…
With the advent of internet to most citizens we can do a little investigation and come to our own ‘informed’ conclusions.
I note the 2 top safest cities in the world are Tokyo and Singapore….Very densely populated but regarded as the safest cities in the world. I note that both counties have capital punishment for capital crimes… This causes people like me to question the constant propaganda that capital punishment and life (meaning life) sentences for capital crimes does not act as a deterrent . Some things need to be punished. I wonder what punishment in Tokyo and Singapore would be meted out to these vile men to ensure those victims of their grotesque crimes against children never see the light of day and a message to perverts “don’t even think about it”…..The victims of these crimes need never again look over their shoulder in fear of looking into the face of evil…..
I may be wrong Jeffrey but your comments indicate to me that you may be part of the PC establishment looking down on concerned citizens with contempt.
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No. I just respect our country’s criminal justice system.
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The decisions taken in the sentences imposed on the defendants are made using this:
Click to access Final_Sexual_Offences_Definitive_Guideline_content_web1.pdf
Stray from that and there will be issues regarding appeals etc.
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I am very happy with the sentences they have received. I know there is still a lot of questions to be answered and people are angry but the outcome of the trial has given me a new lease of life. Sometimes it’s not just about the sentences but the fact that what they did to me has been recognised in a court of law. That means more to me than anything else. Most members of the public are still coming to terms with what has happened in Rotherham, but for myself and other survivors, this has been our life’s, we are past the stage of shock. The saddest part about Friday was looking around the court room you saw how many life’s had been damaged. There is and never will be no winners in this.
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True, honest and wise words Survivor ! I applaud you. The NCA seem to be making a good job of doing the job that South Yorkshire Police should have been doing for the past decade. I believe these trials will be on-going for years. I just hope more people will now feel confident enough to come forward and give evidence to help the NCA to bring more abusers to justice.
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I hope so too. Everyone deserves justice and these people shouldn’t be walking the streets. Hopefully the NCA will start making more arrests soon. I have to say SYP have been brilliant with me. They delivered on everything and I will be forever greatful for that, I just hope many other survivors will have the outcome I have. I feel like the weight of the world has left my shoulders for the first time in 13 years. Everyone deserves to feel the same.
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Something about these jail sentences bothers me.
‘Offenders always complete their full sentence but usually half the time is spent in prison and the rest is spent on licence. While on licence, an offender can be sent back to prison if they break its terms.
The system of serving half a sentence in prison and half on licence was introduced by Parliament, and is not something that judges or magistrates have any control over.’
https://www.sentencingcouncil.org.uk/about-sentencing/sentencing-myths/#2
I’m curious why the judge did not say each man must serve a minimum sentence before being considered for release? Arshid Hussain could potentially be released from prison after serving only half of his sentence so instead of being released when he is 76 years old he could be back on the streets when he’s 58
Serving only 17 years in prison for multiple rapes of young girls does not seem harsh IMV.
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Judge Sarah Wright knows why. She clearly has no time for these filth. Time to accept her decision and look ahead to more positive results from SYP and RMBC. Sorry moodhoovers.
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There is a xeperation of sex offenders from the general population in prisons. These men will be battered if they are ever exposed to others inside. While this may not happen it is an ever present risk. Fear may well be their companion on a dai!y basis. Now frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn!
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Separation!!!
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Jeffrey Smith…”No I just respect this country’s justice system.” Sounds very PC and ‘modern’ but a brief talk with those adversely affected by British justice system might enlighten you on the subject…. One gets very frustrated by bail offenders and parole violators that have disastrous and often fatal consequences for innocent people.
The primary duty of a nation is to protect it’s citizens… Your confidence in the present system is misplaced I believe… Facts are facts and there is no reason to have confidence in a weak justice system because you say so Jeffrey.
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