Girl Repeatedly Sexually Abused By Several Men Since Age 12

Four men were convicted for sexually abusing a young girl in a churchyard in Telford, England, on Tuesday.

The victim, whose identity was not revealed, told the Birmingham Crown Court that she was violently abused and raped above a shop, on a dirty mattress and was forced to perform sexual acts in a churchyard. She was repeatedly sexually exploited and abused since she was 12 years old. The abuse took place between 2000 and 2003.

Michelle Heeley QC, a prosecutor, said the victim was “passed around like a piece of meat for the sexual gratification of several young men, some of whom are in the dock." The girl, who is now an adult, said she had lost count of how many men she was forced to have sex with. She described that she was picked up every day after school and was “passed around" by two of the accused men. She described the experience as "two years of hell".

Five men were accused of child abuse and performing indecent sexual acts, three of whom were found guilty and convicted by the court Tuesday.

The victim identified five men at police identification parades. She reportedly came forward after she recognized two men who had abused her, including Ali Sultan, from reports about the Telford sex ring during Operation Chalice, which was set up by the police to inquire into child sex abuse in Telford.

Mohammed Ali Sultan, 33, was convicted on the charges of three counts of indecent assault and rape. The jury was informed that he was convicted back in 2012 and 2015 for similar offenses. Amjad Hussain, 38, was convicted of a single count of indecent assault for reportedly forcing the victim to perform oral sex on two occasions. Mohammad Rizwan, 37, a co-accused in the case, was found guilty of two counts of indecent assault. Shafiq Younas, 35, was convicted of indecent assault. Meanwhile, Nazam Akhtar, 35, was found not guilty of rape.

"These defendants denied what they did to this child, forcing her to relive the awful events of those years at this trial. In the selfish pursuit of their own sexual gratification, these men have burdened this victim with the significant and lasting effects of their offending,” said Julia McSorley, senior prosecutor for Crown Prosecution Service West Midlands.

"Our thoughts are with her and the Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank her for her incredible courage in giving evidence and securing the convictions of the men who carried out these dreadful offences,” she added.

The convicted men will be sentenced Thursday at Birmingham Crown Court.