HALIFAX MAN SENTENCED TO OVER A DECADE FOR CHILD ABUSE
A group of twenty men in Calderdale has been sentenced to over 200 years in prison combined, following convictions related to child sexual abuse cases.The total custodial time sums to 219 years, with the men found guilty of raping and abusing girls as young as 12.
Multiple investigations and court trials uncovered that four girls aged between 12 and 16 had been exploited in Calderdale, with legal restrictions initially protecting these proceedings, now subsequently lifted.
The initial inquiry, launched in 2016, focused on the sexual abuse and exploitation of two girls from 2006 to 2009, when they were aged 13 to 16.
The trial that started on October 21 at Bradford Crown Court resulted in the following sentences: - Shahzad Nowaz, 45, from Halifax, received an 11-year sentence for rape and threats to kill.
- Nadeem Nassir, 44, also from Halifax, was sentenced to 11 years after being convicted of similar crimes.
- Sajid Adalat, 48, of Halifax, was handed a seven-year sentence for his offenses.
- Sohail Zaffer, 41, of Halifax, pleaded guilty to rape and supplying a class C drug, and was sentenced to 42 months.
- Shazad Nazir, 49, of Halifax, received an 11-year sentence for rape.
A second Bradford Crown Court trial that began in January 2022 involved: - Nadeem Adalat, 39, from Halifax, convicted of rape, initially sentenced to 14 years; the sentence was later increased to 16 years following an appeal.
- Asad Mahmood, 38, of Halifax, received a 13-year sentence after his conviction for rape.
- Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39, of Halifax, was sentenced to nine years for rape.
- Vaseem Adalat, 38, also of Halifax, was sentenced initially to 12 years, later increased to 14 years and six months after an appeal.
In 2016, authorities began investigating reports of repeated sexual abuse of a vulnerable young girl between the ages of 13 and 16, spanning from 2002 to 2006.
The first trial for this case, in August 2022, saw: - Amir Shaban, 48, of Halifax, found guilty of rape and sentenced to 10 years.
Subsequently, a separate trial in October 2022 involved: - Malik Quadeer, 67, of Halifax, convicted of five counts of rape; his sentence was 22 years.
- Mohammed Ziarab, 55, of Halifax, sentenced to 10 years for rape.
- Imran Raja Yasin, 45, of Halifax, received a 10-year sentence.
- Kamran Amin, 48, of Halifax, also received a 10-year sentence.
- Mohammed Akhtar, 54, of Halifax, was sentenced to 11 years; he died during his incarceration.
The third trial, starting in January 2024, resulted in: - Haroon Sadiq, 40, of Halifax, convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to 10 years.
- Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44, from Dewsbury, found guilty of two counts of rape, with a 12-year sentence.
- Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, of Bradford, was convicted of two counts of rape and sentenced to 9 years.
An additional case concerned alleged sexual abuse of a girl in Calderdale between 2001 and 2002, aged 12 to 13.
This trial in December 2023 resulted in: - Craig Mitchell, 55, of Halifax, being found guilty of rape and sentenced to 12 years.
Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith from Calderdale Police expressed praise for the victims’ bravery, noting their willingness to come forward and support the judicial process.
She also pointed out that legal restrictions previously prevented public release of these outcomes, but now the sentences are confirmed.
She reaffirmed the police’s focus on combating child sexual exploitation, emphasizing that anyone, regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred, should report it.
Support services are available for victims of both recent and historic abuse.
