HALIFAX MAN RECEIVES LONG PRISON SENTENCE FOR CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE
Twenty men have been convicted and sentenced to over 200 years collectively in relation to historical child sexual abuse investigations in Calderdale.The total combined prison time assigned to these individuals amounts to 219 years after guilty verdicts for crimes including the sexual abuse and rape of young girls.
These convictions resulted from a number of separate investigations and court cases, which established that four girls aged 12 to 16 in Calderdale had been exploited and abused sexually.
Legal restrictions aimed at protecting the integrity of the proceedings have been previously in place but are now lifted.
The initial investigation in 2016 centered around allegations of repeated sexual abuse of two girls in Calderdale from 2006 to 2009, with the victims aged between 13 and 16.
The first of these trials, beginning on October 21 at Bradford Crown Court, led to these convictions: - Shahzad Nowaz, aged 45 from Halifax, was sentenced to 11 years after being found guilty of rape and threats to kill.
- Nadeem Nassir, aged 44, also from Halifax, received an identical 11-year sentence for similar charges.
- Sajid Adalat, 48, of Halifax, was sentenced to seven years after a rape conviction.
- Sohail Zaffer, 41, from Halifax, pleaded guilty to rape and providing a Class C drug, receiving 42 months.
- Shazad Nazir, 49, of Halifax, was also convicted of rape and sentenced to 11 years.
A second trial that commenced in January 2022 at Bradford Crown Court involved the following defendants: - Nadeem Adalat, 39, of Halifax, was convicted of rape and initially sentenced to 14 years; on appeal, his sentence increased to 16 years.
- Asad Mahmood, 38, of Halifax, received a 13-year sentence after being found guilty.
- Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39, from Halifax, was sentenced to nine years.
- Vaseem Adalat, 38, of Halifax, received a 12-year sentence, which was later extended to 14 years and 6 months after an appeal.
In 2016, a separate investigation was launched concerning the repeated sexual abuse of a vulnerable girl between 2002 and 2006, starting when she was 13.
The first court case under this investigation, in August 2022, resulted in: - Amir Shaban, aged 48 from Halifax, being found guilty of rape and receiving a 10-year sentence.
Subsequently, another trial in October 2022 led to convictions for: - Malik Quadeer, 67, of Halifax, who was sentenced to 22 years for five counts of rape.
- Mohammed Ziarab, 55, of Halifax, received 10 years.
- Imran Raja Yasin, 45, from Halifax, was sentenced to 10 years.
- Kamran Amin, 48, also from Halifax, received 10 years.
- Mohammed Akhtar, 54, of Halifax, was sentenced to 11 years for rape; he died while serving this sentence.
The third trial, starting in January 2024, involved: - Haroon Sadiq, 40, of Halifax, who was convicted of two counts of rape and given a 10-year sentence.
- Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, of Dewsbury, also convicted of two counts of rape, received 12 years.
- Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, of Bradford, was sentenced to 9 years for two counts of rape.
Another case investigated claims of sexual abuse against a girl in Calderdale during 2001-2002 when she was 12 to 13 years old.
The trial in December 2023 at Bradford Crown Court resulted in: - Craig Mitchell, 55, of Halifax, being convicted of rape and sentenced to 12 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith from Calderdale Police praised the victims’ bravery, confirming, "The courage of those involved in these cases is remarkable." "Restrictions on publicizing these prosecutals were in place until now.
We are pleased with the sentences imposed on these offenders for the terrible abuse inflicted." She further emphasized that child sexual abuse remains a priority for the police and community partners, noting its lasting impact on victims, and expressed hope that the ongoing prosecutions reinforce the commitment to justice.
Smith also urged victims of past abuse to come forward, affirming that specially trained officers are available to support them through reporting and investigation processes.
