20 Britons jailed for sex abuse of young girls
October 19, 2018
British prosecutors said on Friday that 20 men in the town of Huddersfield have received prison sentences for raping and sexually abusing more than a dozen girls aged as young as 11 over a period of seven years.
The verdicts came in three trials earlier this year, but were reported only now because of the lifting of a blanket ban imposed by the court.
The cases follow prosecutions in a number of other northern English towns, such as Rotherham and Rochdale, involving men of mostly Pakistani heritage.
Read more: Poland: Film stokes debate about sexual abuse
'Grooming' charges
The men, who are all British Asians, were on trial on charges of being in a gang that "groomed" vulnerable girls. They were convicted of more than 120 offenses against 15 victims aged between 11 and 17.
Prosecutors said the victims were plied with alcohol and drugs before being sexually abused. The abuse was said to have taken place in cars, parking lots, a snooker center and a fast-food restaurant.
The alleged ringleader, who was found guilty of 22 counts of rape, was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in prison. The other men received sentences of between five and 18 years in prison.
Read more: One year of #MeToo: A timeline of events
'Vile and wicked'
Judge Geoffrey Marson was reported to have told one group of 16 men he jailed earlier this year: "The way you treated these girls defies understanding. This abuse was vile and wicked."
"As cases of sexual abuse with which the courts have to deal, this case comes top of the scale," he said, adding that children's lives had been ruined through their actions.
Local authorities and police have been criticized for failing to protect vulnerable girls and for often failing to listen to the victims.
Read more: Sexual abuse goes far beyond Germany's Catholic Church
tj/rt (AFP, AP)