HALIFAX MAN RECEIVES 22-YEAR SENTENCE FOR CHILD RAPE AND ABUSE
A series of court convictions have resulted in 20 men being sentenced to a combined total of over two centuries in prison related to historical child sexual abuse cases in Calderdale.The total custodial time awarded amounts to 219 years, following their guilty verdicts for sexually assaulting and abusing four girls aged 12 to 16, in what were thorough investigations and multiple trials.
Court restrictions had previously been in place to protect the integrity of these proceedings, but these restrictions have since been lifted.
The investigation, initiated in 2016, centered on allegations of ongoing abuse of two girls between 2006 and 2009, when the victims were between 13 and 16 years old.
The first court case, at Bradford Crown Court starting October 21, led to convictions of several defendants: Shahzad Nowaz and Nadeem Nassir, both aged 45 and 44 respectively, received 11-year sentences for rape and threatening to kill; Sajid Adalat, aged 48, was sentenced to seven years; Sohail Zaffer, 41, pleaded guilty to rape and drug dealing, and was sentenced to 42 months; and Shazad Nazir, 49, got 11 years after being found guilty.
In a subsequent trial beginning January 2022, Nadeem Adalat’s sentence was increased from 14 to 16 years after an appeal.
Asad Mahmood, aged 38, was sentenced to 13 years, while Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39, was handed a nine-year term.
Vaseem Adalat, 38, was initially sentenced to 12 years, later increased to 14 and a half years after an appeal.
Further investigations in 2016 addressed abuse of a young girl from 2002 to 2006, starting when she was 13.
In the trial that began in August 2022, Amir Shaban, 48, was convicted and sentenced to ten years.
A second trial in October 2022 led to Malik Quadeer, 67, being sentenced to 22 years for five counts of rape; Mohammed Ziarab, 55, and Imran Raja Yasin, 45, received ten-year sentences; Kamran Amin, 48, also got ten years; and Mohammed Akhtar, 54, was sentenced to 11 years but passed away during his imprisonment.
Saquab Hussain, 46, was given a sentence of seven and a half years.
The latest trial in January 2024 involved convictions of three individuals: Haroon Sadiq, 40, of Halifax, with a ten-year sentence for two counts of rape; Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, of Dewsbury, received 12 years; and Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, of Bradford, was sentenced to nine years for similar charges.
Additionally, a December 2023 trial found Craig Mitchell, 55, of Halifax, guilty of rape, resulting in a 12-year sentence.
Chief Inspector Claire Smith of Calderdale Police highlighted the bravery of the victims and survivors, commending their courage in reporting these crimes and going through the justice process.
She underscored the importance of addressing child sexual exploitation and encouraged victims of past abuse to come forward, assuring that specially trained officers handle such sensitive cases and remain committed to pursuing justice for perpetrators.
