Judge orders Rotherham rape gang survivor to REMOVE demand for deportations in court statement

Judge orders Rotherham rape gang survivor to REMOVE demand for deportations in court statement

The woman, who has her identity protected by court order, gave a moving statement in Sheffield Crown Court last week

GB NEWS/WIKICOMMONS
Charlie Peters

By Charlie Peters


Published: 17/09/2024

- 08:31

Updated: 17/09/2024

- 11:48

The victim, who was grooming and assaulted from the age of 11, faced down her abusers in court last week

A Rotherham rape gangs survivor was ordered by a judge to remove a demand for her abusers to be deported in her courtroom victim impact statement, GB News can reveal.

The woman, who has her identity protected by court order, gave a moving statement in Sheffield Crown Court last week, over 20 years after she was groomed and abused from the age of 11.


Before she delivered her victim impact statement, the prosecuting counsel and the judge conferred over sections that had been removed.

Barrister Matthew Bean, acting for the crown, said “Whether they [the abusers] remain in this country or not” is up to the Home Office, and that “the decision should happen” regardless of what “the victim should say one way or another.”

The survivor was then called to the court and delivered a powerful speech from the witness stand next to the judge.

Addressing the defendants in the dock, she told them: “You ruined my life but I won’t let you ruin my future. I’m a fighter and a survivor. I’m thriving and fighting. You can’t and won’t ever take anything from me again.”

The woman, who has her identity protected by court order, gave a moving statement in Sheffield Crown Court last weekGB NEWS/WIKICOMMONS

Closing her emotional statement, the survivor said: “22 years ago, you first started grooming me, and 10 years ago I started my justice fight.

“You stole my childhood, now I’m taking your freedom, I am your karma.”

The next day, the seven abusers were sentenced to a total of 106 years imprisonment.

GB News has seen the original copy of the speech that she intended to deliver, which has several sections crossed out due to restrictions ordered by the judge, who is granted sight of the statement before it is read out in court.

The censored conclusion reads: “I’d like to request that after sentencing and upon Rudy and Showabe's release, that they should be deported back to Pakistan as this is where they originated from and came here to exploit children. Thank you.”

'Rudy' refers to Mohammed Amar, 42, convicted of two counts of indecent assault, he was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment, 2 years on extended licence.

'Showabe' refers to Mohammed Siyab, 49, convicted of two counts of rape, one count of sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and one count of trafficking. He was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, 12 months on licence.

Siyab required an Urdu interpreter in court.

The survivor told GB News that Britain is failing to deport foreign rape gang abusers.

“If someone’s not born here and they’re here to exploit children, after the sentences they should be deported.

“There’s nothing to say that they’ll stop exploiting children. We can deport them and let their own country deal with them.

“The Foreign Office should absolutely give Pakistan full punishment if they refuse to accept grooming gang rapists.”

She added: “Those men need to be deported or Pakistan should have its visas restricted.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings.”

Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more.

In some cases, foreign nationals fight deportations due to ECHR claims.

In Rochdale, rape gangs ringleader Qari Abdul Rauf has had deportation delayed as Pakistan —where he has nationality — is understood to have refused to take him back.

The 2022 Nationality And Borders Act introduced a power to impose visa penalties on countries that do not cooperate on the removal of its nationals who do not have a right to be in the UK.

The power has yet to be used, reportedly due to opposition from civil servants in the Foreign Office.

Former safeguarding minister Laura Farris, the former Tory MP for Newbury, said earlier this year that it “sounds sensible” to impose visa sanctions on countries such as Pakistan that do not accept grooming gang offenders being deported to their country of origin.

Suella Braverman, former Home Secretary, said: “For too long, women have been let down by the justice system and the Grooming Gangs Scandal continues to be a national disgrace.

“Justice would be better served by speeding up the cases- many of which are over a decade old — and removing those offenders who are foreign — born back to their home countries immediately.”

Lee Anderson, the Reform MP for Ashfield, said: “For far too long these Pakistani grooming gangs have got away with grooming and raping young English girls whilst the police and social services have been very slow to act.

“It would now appear that even when these vile perverts are caught that our judicial system still puts the perpetrators before the victims. No ifs or buts, if they were born in a different country send them straight back.”

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