Five British-born Pakistanis have been jailed in Britain for sexually abusing girls as young as 12, a media report said on Saturday. The "sexual predators" preyed on their victims over several months and threatened them with violence if they refused their advances, the Daily Mail reported.
The men attacked four girls in play areas, parks and in the back of their cars, Sheffield Crown Court heard. The five — Umar Razaq, 24, Razwan Razaq, 30, Zafran Ramzan, 21, Adil Hussain, 20, and Mohsin Khan, 21 — were found guilty on Friday of a string of sex-related offences against the girls, one aged 12, two aged 13 and one aged 16.
Two of the men wept in the dock as they were jailed. Judge Peter Kelson told them: "I've listened to the backdrop of some of you sobbing — I have to say your weeping cuts no ice with me at all. "You had what you regarded as your fun, now you will take your punishment."
According to the report, one of the men branded his victim a "white bitch" when she resisted, while a second said: "I've used you and abused you." They gave them gifts and introduced them to their friends. The girls were abused so frequently that after many months it "became a way of life".
The girls, who were being monitored by social services, were eventually rescued by the police and removed from their homes amid growing concerns for their safety. Ramzan was found guilty of raping the 16-year-old girl in her own home, and the other four were found guilty of sexual activity with a child.
The judge awarded Razwan 11 years in prison, while Zafran was jailed for nine years. Adil and Mohsin both received four years in jail. Umar was jailed for four and a half years. All five were placed on the sex offenders register, the report said.
The attacks took place in Rotherham town in South Yorkshire, England in 2008, the court was told. Mohsin, a mortgage adviser who owned a BMW, described his victim as a "little stick" who looked as if she had not reached puberty.
The authorities were alerted after some changes were noted in the behaviour of the victims and they were removed from their homes. Joyce Thacker, director of Rotherham's children and young people's services, said the girls were under child protection plans following family breakdowns or other issues with their behaviour.
"When we pieced together a map of what was happening we stepped in very quickly to move these girls to a place of safety outside Rotherham," she said.