Newcastle sex abuse ring

The Newcastle sex abuse ring were a gang of seventeen men and a woman who sexually abused adolescent girls and young women from 2010–2014 in Newcastle upon Tyne after plying them with alcohol and drugs. The men were of Bangladeshi, Turkish, Iranian, Iraqi, Indian and Pakistani heritage who were aged between 27 and 44. The woman was a 22-year-old British white woman.[1][2] The victims ranged in age from 13 to 25.[3]

Crimes

As in the Oxford, Rochdale, Derby, Rotherham, Telford, Bristol and Peterborough prosecutions, the men pretended friendship and offered alcohol and drugs, winning the trust of their victims before initiating abusive sexual relationships.[3] Victims told court that in some cases they were rendered unconscious by drugs and woke to find themselves undressed, having been subject to sexual assaults.[3] The prosecution successfully argued that the victims, whose ages ranged from 13 to 25, were chosen because they were vulnerable and seemed less likely both to complain to the authorities and to be believed if they did so complain.[3]

Operation Shelter, the specific police operation in Newcastle which led to the four trials, identified up to 108 potential victims, while the wider Operation Sanctuary, targeting abuse in the entire Northumbria police district, has identified up to 278 victims.[3]

Reactions

The British Labour politician Sarah Champion claimed regarding media news about this and previous trails, that there is a need to “acknowledge” that in all of the towns where similar cases have occurred “the majority of the perpetrators have been British Pakistani”. She said: "We have got now, hundreds of Pakistani men who have been convicted of this crime, why are we not commissioning research to see what is going on and how we need to change what is going on. (...) I genuinely think that it’s because more people are afraid to be called a racist than they are afraid to be wrong about calling out child abuse.”[4][5]

Operation Sanctuary

A Northumbria Police probe into the abuse of one single girl uncovered serial abuse of teenage girls in Tyneside and resulted in the launch of "Operation Sanctuary," under which the initial arrests took place in January 2014 and had reached 67 arrests by the end of March that year.[6]

Gang members

The 18 gang members were convicted of the following:[1]

  • Mohammed Azram, 35, of Croydon Road, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, sexual assault, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Jahangir Zaman, 43, of Hadrian Road, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, rape, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Nashir Uddin, 35, of Joan Street, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Saiful Islam, 34, of Strathmore Crescent, convicted of rape. Jailed for 10 years
  • Mohammed Hassan Ali, 33, of Bentinck Street, convicted of sexual activity with a child, supplying drugs to a victim. Jailed for seven years
  • Yasser Hussain, 27, of Canning Street, convicted of beating, possession of drugs. Jailed for two years
  • Abdul Sabe, 40, of Dean House, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation, drugs offences
  • Habibur Rahim, 34, of Kenilworth Road, convicted of causing or inciting prostitution, drugs, sexual assault, trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation
  • Badrul Hussain, 37, of Drybeck Court, convicted of drug offences
  • Mohibur Rahman, 44, of Northcote Street, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to incite prostitution, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Abdulhamid Minoyee, 33, of Gainsborough Grove, convicted of rape, sexual assault, supply of drugs
  • Carolann Gallon, 22, of Hareside Court, pleaded guilty to three counts of trafficking
  • Monjour Choudhury, 33, of Phillip Place, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Prabhat Nelli, 33, of Sidney Grove, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Eisa Mousavi, 41, of Todds Nook, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, rape, supplying drugs to a victim
  • Taherul Alam, 32, of Normanton Terrace, convicted of conspiracy to incite prostitution, supplying drugs to a victim, attempted sexual assault
  • Nadeem Aslam, 43, of Belle Grove West, convicted of supplying drugs to victims
  • Redwan Siddquee, 32, of West Road, pleaded guilty to supply or offering to supply a class B drug. Jailed for 16 months

References

  1. 1 2 BBC News, "Operation Sanctuary: Newcastle child sex network convicted", 9 August 2017
  2. ↑ Sky News, "In profile: Members of the Newcastle grooming gang"
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Eighteen people found guilty over Newcastle sex grooming network". The Guardian. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
  4. ↑ "MP on Pakistani rape gangs: People are more afraid to be called a racist then they are to be wrong about child abuse". The Independent. 2017-08-10. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  5. ↑ "Yorkshire MP warns racism fears must be put to one side in battle to stop child sex grooming gangs". www.yorkshirepost.co.uk. Retrieved 2017-08-12.
  6. ↑ SOPHIE DOUGHTY (28 March 2014). "Operation Sanctuary: Sex exploitation probe uncovers hidden culture of abuse". The Evening Chronicle. Retrieved 20 September 2017. A police probe into the sexual exploitation of teenagers on Tyneside has uncovered a hidden epidemic of abuse stalking our streets. Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in January with a wave of arrests after receiving a report expressing concern for one girl.


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