Twenty men jailed after being found guilty of abusing young girls in Yorkshire

Twenty men have been jailed for more than 219 years combined after being found guilty of raping and abusing young girls.

Through a series of individual investigations and trials, the men were found to have sexually abused and exploited four girls between the ages of 12 and 16 in Calderdale.

Since the first report in 2016, detectives in Calderdale have conducted multiple extremely complex and sensitive investigations into several separate allegations of sexual abuse of children in the Calderdale area between 2001 and 2010.

Due to court restrictions being put in place at an early stage to safeguard legal proceedings, the police have so far been unable to share the outcomes of these investigations. The restrictions have now been lifted, allowing the courts to share details of three investigations where proceedings are no longer active.

In 2016 an investigation was launched into allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation of two girls in the Calderdale area between 2006 and 2009 when the girls were aged between 13 and 16.

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.”

In 2016 an investigation was launched into allegations of child sexual abuse and exploitation of two girls in the Calderdale area between 2006 and 2009 when the girls were aged between 13 and 16.

Trial One – commenced October 2021 at Bradford Crown Court

Shahzad Nowaz, 45, of Halifax, found guilty of rape and making threats to kill, sentenced to a total of 11 years.
Nadeem Nassir, 44, of Halifax, found guilty of rape and making threats to kill, sentenced to a total of 11 years.
Sajid Adalat, 48, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of seven years.
Sohail Zaffer, 41, of Halifax, pled guilty to rape and supply of a class C drug, sentenced to a total of 42 months.
Shazad Nazir, 49, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of 11 years.

Trial Two – commenced January 2022 Bradford Crown Court

Nadeem Adalat, 39, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 14 years. He appealed the sentence, increased to a total of 16 years.
Asad Mahmood, 38, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of 13 years.
Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to a total of nine years.
Vaseem Adalat, 38, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 12 years, following an appeal was increased to a total of 14 years and 6 months.

In 2016 an investigation was launched following reports of repeated sexual abuse of a vulnerable young girl between 2002 and 2006, starting when she was 13 years old.

Trial One – commenced August 2022 Bradford Crown Court

Amir Shaban, 48, of Halifax, was found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.

Trial Two – commenced October 2022 at Bradford Crown Court

Malik Quadeer, 67, of Halifax, found guilty of five counts of rape, sentenced to 22 years.
Mohammed Ziarab, 55, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
Imran Raja Yasin, 45, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
Kamran Amin, 48, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
Mohammed Akhtar, 54, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 11 years. Mr Akhtar died while serving his sentence.
Saquab Hussain, 46, of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to seven years and 6 months.

Trial Three – commenced January 2024 at Bradford Crown Court

Haroon Sadiq, 40, of Halifax, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 10 years.
Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, of Dewsbury, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 12 years.
Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, of Bradford, found guilty of two counts of rape, sentenced to 9 years.

In 2018 an investigation was launched into the sexual abuse of a girl in the Calderdale area between 2001 and 2002. She was aged between 12 and 13 at the time of offending.

Trial December 2023 at Bradford Crown Court

Craig Mitchell, 55 of Halifax, found guilty of rape, sentenced to 12 years.

How to report sexual abuse

To report child sexual abuse and exploitation, contact the police via online live chat system or by calling 101. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or vulnerable to harm, please call 999.

I have been a victim of sexual abuse – can I claim compensation?

If you’ve experienced historical sexual abuse, AbuseClaims.co.uk can assist you in claiming compensation for the physical and emotional pain you’ve endured.

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What is Historic Abuse?

Historical abuse refers to instances where an adult experienced sexual abuse as a child or young person under the age of 18. This can involve a single incident or multiple occurrences of abuse, carried out by a stranger, a relative, or someone familiar.

Sexual or physical abuse is considered a crime regardless of the victim’s age. According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), child sexual abuse involves coercing or encouraging a child to participate in sexual acts. It remains abuse even if the child does not initially understand that something is wrong.

At AbuseClaims.co.uk, our team of experienced legal professionals are here to help you navigate the best path for pursuing your claim. With a deep understanding of handling sensitive cases, we are dedicated to offering the support needed for a successful outcome.

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How to make a claim?

This area of the law is highly specialised, and it is important to have a solicitor who has experience pursuing claims for compensation for historic sexual and physical abuse and assault.

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How long will my case take to run?

Generally, a civil claim for abuse or assaults can be concluded within 6-12 months. We will provide you with regular updates as your claim progresses.

Once we have been able to assess your case, we will give you an idea at the outset of the likely timescale.

It will very much depend on what evidence we need to gather, who we are bringing the claim against and also whether the claim can be settled without court proceedings.

Should I make a claim?

Before deciding whether to pursue a claim, it’s crucial to seek initial legal advice to evaluate the merits of your case. At AbuseClaims.co.uk, we offer a free assessment and are happy to discuss your situation at no cost.

If a solicitor determines that your claim has merit, it’s also important to consider the potential impact on your health. Litigation can be a stressful process that may negatively affect your well-being.

While we cannot provide medical advice, we must inform you that pursuing a claim may bring up traumatic memories of the abuse, which could impact your mental health.

Please keep in mind that the primary outcome of a successful claim is financial compensation. While you may hope for answers through litigation, most cases settle out of court, which could leave some of your questions unresolved.

Your doctors may advise that revisiting the trauma could hinder your recovery.

The decision to proceed should be made in consultation with your medical advisors and is entirely up to you.

If you choose to move forward with a claim, our team will do everything possible to support you and minimise the stress throughout the process.

Would I have to go to court?

If the case does not settle, then ultimately the matter would proceed to Court where a Judge would make a determination. Most cases, however, do settle out of Court, so although this is an unlikely eventuality, we cannot rule it out as an impossibility.

If you do have any concerns about this during the process of your claim, then we would be happy to discuss this with you and address any concerns you may have.

Why should I use abuseclaims.co.uk?

Abuseclaims.co.uk is committed to handling your abuse claim on a ‘no-win, no-fee’ basis. If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t owe us anything.

If your claim is successful, we will take a percentage of the compensation, meaning we only receive payment when we have achieved a positive outcome for you.

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