The total in prison terms handed down to people who sexually exploited children in Rotherham has exceeded 290 years following the sentencing of the 21st defendant to be found guilty.
Zalgai Ahmadi was jailed for nine years and six months at Sheffield Crown Court today after he falsely imprisoned and sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl in 2003.
The 45-year-old was not in the UK when South Yorkshire Police officers working on Operation Clover deemed him a suspect in 2013, but he was detained at Heathrow Airport while trying to return to the UK under a different name in 2016.
Read more at: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/290-years-for-21-rotherham-sex-case-criminals-1-8541565
Det Chief Insp Tate said: “I would urge anyone who may have been a victim of abuse to come forward and talk to someone. We will listen, we will help and we will bring perpetrators to justice.
Rotherham Politics 
Notice Ian Thomas RMBC is claiming all the credit as usual ‘ this is another key milestone in our tireless campaign’. Really? Does the NCA know?
What a media opportunist.
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LucyJ. As the SIO for this I would just like to clarify that this prosecution has nothing to do with the NCA. It was a partnership investigation between SYP, RMBC and the voluntary sector. The NCA Stovewood is entirely separate. Hope that helps and happy to clarify anything further.
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What I think she means Martin is that syp have only done the three trials and that the nca are taking over the rest of our cases.it is a milestone and a very good one for all the victims what was in the trials .but I do after agree with Lucy j on this,he only ever seems to appear when the media is about where is the engagement with the victims?where is our offer of services?
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I agree sparkle
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Sparkle, I wish the NCA and everyone involved in those prosecutions the very best to achieve justice.
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Martin
Thank you very much for clarifying the role of the Partnership Investigation and my confusing it with the NCA’s work in Operation Stovewood. I did not intend in any way to deny its significant importance or credit in any way. Please accept my apologies.
My frustration (and no doubt others) is the seemingly, deliberate and continued media exploitation to appear to claim credit by Ian Thomas. His relationship with a camera lens and the press is not new.and almost bizarre.
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Lucy, no need to apologise and thanks for your further comment. It’s important that discussion takes place and we encourage it. There is still much to do, we know that. It’s really hard for the public to differentiate between the different operations and investigations. It’s an unprecedented set of circumstances. Now that we have finished Op Clover we are trying to make sure the public understand SYP have finished and the NCA are now embedded in South Yorkshire.
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He loves camera and select few survivors he’s like Breadle only comes out when cameras about
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Wonder how many survivours Ian Thomas has met with
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Guess ?
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For anyone that has met me personally I say it as it is. I don’t play games and I’m not a politician. Ian has been to every trial, he has not met every victim in our prosecutions but neither have I, its not always appropriate. He has been to court, thanked officers and social workers behind the scenes, and offered me personal messages of support in difficult times. The most important voices in all of this period in times are the victims. If victims aren’t happy we should listen, and learn. If I’ve got it wrong I’ll put my hand up. But what we shouldn’t do is offer opinion without fact. The simple reason I say that is not to be denesobe but that it may discourage victims to come forward. That’s the only thing that matters is victims having the courage to come forward.
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Martin, thank you for the reply.I agree it’s is about the victims and speaking as a victim,I am absolutely thrilled at what yourself and clover have achieved and the justice you have all brought the girls . It’s about moving forward and rebuilding people’s life’s but also I have my opnion as I stated further up and sadly it’s a fact .
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Welcome to our world Martin. There is much that may be of interest to you in some of the nearly 5,000 posts there are to be found on here. Rik
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Well said Roth pol
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Rothpol, I have monitored many posts over the last three years but have been unable to comment due to ongoing legal matters. That is still true to some extent. Rest assured SYP does monitor public opinion. We work for the public so it’s imperative we do.
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Well why are all survivors listened to ?
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You are Martin Tate straight talking. And that is all well and good, I’m also a victim and my trail finished at the beginning of the year and i swear by what i say. SYP where brilliant I got 6 convictions and my CLOSURE iv needed since 2001 THANKS. But it stops there, since them convictions all my support has STOPPED meaning i have now been left high an dry by RMBC, all because i dont have visual problems after such an horrific ordeal doesnt mean that the scars inside arent throbbing. The only reason I find myself dealing with this so well is because its not the first time im having to process it alone, I worked my way through it in 2001 and I find myself doing the same again.
People like Ian Thomas didnt bother me before what I have experienced recently. Utter shock at how quick after sentancing all my help stopped and he didn’t even explain to me personally why. If being exploited by perpetrators aint enough i now feel all i was getting support for was the conversation and now they dont have the duty of care towards me. THANKFULLY im a very strong independent woman and did put much hope or trust into them. I am currently seeking help from a seperate organisation that I sourced myself. If it wasnt for them id be deep in the gutter trying to keep my head above everything.
I wont ever put SYP down for the current work with my case as everything is satisfactory but i will never trust RMBC again. I dont want to put other victims off coming forward in any way but do we stay silent and allow that to continue as it wont get better for others.
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I’m really sorry to hear that. I obviously won’t go into personal detail here but pls contact us to discuss further.
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You are a strong woman with family and friends for support you are now in the right hands for getting help you are not on your own anymore and will support you don’t forget how strong you was getting your convictions and you should be proud of yourself as we are proud of you we will all get through this together and help every one what need it and if you need my help I will do anything I can to help chin up mrs disappointed onward and upwards
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Without being personal about Mr Thomas, you have to remember who selected him, RMBC. Who pays his wages, RMBC and who does he rely on for his very handsome wages and nice pension, RMBC. The RMBC councillors are just keeping out of the limelight until the Commissioners have left. Where ( or who is) the RMBC Councillor who`s brief is children`s services ?.
We have been watching them for years, we are not taken in, our eyes are wide open.
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Well said S Thornton my eyes aswell
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On BBC Look North February 26th 2016 Ian Thomas and Chris Reed both said in interviews that RMBC were investigating those who knew about CSE and any one found to have done Wrong or covered up would be dealt with
To date nothing not a peep only Reed defending the Councillor’s who are still in post and he has promoted same old same old nothing changes head in sand it might go away labour and the council are still in full denial
Questions need answering
Who knew
When did they know
What did they do about it
And who should have known if not why not
Still no answers from our Labour politicians it happened on their watch
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Join the club about support being minimal or non existent after trial. Everyone is the same. All I have ever had was the support of SYP and the ISVA service; this was only on the run up for trial and at trial. Now Zalgai Ahmadi is out the way the isva support will stop. I’ve never had support off RMBC because I don’t need the support they can offer, support such as social services. Also, it’s not Ian Thomas’s responsibility to ensure support if people need it. He’s the strategic director of children’s services. The clues in the name. As a adult woman I wouldn’t want support from a service made for children. If people want support they need to raise it with the director of adult services, this is where survivors should get offered support from. Maybe the question should be, why have charities got funding to support and yet no one knows where to get the support? But, I’d say that’s a question for the CCG and the charities. Ian Thomas has been present at the trials to help restore faith to the public & most importantly any child or young person who is being abused. Letting them know that they can report and the same failings will not be made & perportrators will be prosecuted. The investigations have been joint between SYP & RMBC as they will both hold information vital to an investigation. Everyone is different, for me I’m glad the support is going. After 4 years of police and 2 trials I’m glad to see the back of everyone. I want to go back to a bit of normality and move on with life. Nothing will ever take away what’s happened but justice certainly helps with the healing process.
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Mrs disappeared,this is exactly what I was trying to put across.I came forwaRd in 2014 not once as anyone from rmbc ever come to me and said do you need any support.I am awaiting justice and seeing the constant glory taking at every opportunity is absolutely bizarre. And I agree fully not in any way I am stating my opnions to put anyone coming forward because this the main objective to all this is that we get our justice that we all deserve,been along time coming and that lessons are been learnt and future children are safe, but also I will voice my opnion aswell and sadly I’m not convinced that rmbc are taking this quite as seriously as it all is .I am sorry to hear that this as happened mrs disappointed but congrats on your convictions:-)
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Thanks. Just ashame about the failed services from RMBC.
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Also may i add its slowly creaping up the amount of people being treated the same way as me and it confirms im not the only one again.
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It’s disappointing that lessons are still not being learnt, sadly victims and survivors and their families are still being failed , and support should be on going for as long as survivours need it they shouldn’t be shoved to one side just cos their court case is over. What is so disappointing aswell there is still no support for parents and families to access ,,
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