One Convicted in Rotherham Sexual Exploitation Case Flees to Pakistan, Manhunt Underway for Another
One man has fled to Pakistan following a sexual exploitation case in Rotherham, while authorities search for another suspect still in the UK.
Rotherham, November 14 (Daily Kiran) : In Rotherham, England, a significant development has emerged in a sexual exploitation case dating back nearly 20 years. One of the two men convicted in connection with the exploitation and trafficking of a teenage girl is believed to have fled to Pakistan. Reports indicate that he went missing before the trial proceedings began.
According to Sky News, the National Crime Agency (NCA) revealed that 37-year-old Kamir Ifzal Khan, who was out on conditional bail, boarded a flight to Qatar on September 22. It is suspected that he subsequently traveled to Pakistan.
The second defendant, 37-year-old Mudassar Hussain, was also on conditional bail prior to the trial. His passport had already been surrendered, and the NCA believes he may still be in the UK, though there is a possibility he has left the country illegally.
On Thursday, Sheffield Crown Court found both Khan and Hussain guilty, along with Hussain’s 42-year-old brother, Gajnfar Hussain. Mudassar Hussain was convicted on 12 counts of rape, while Kamir Ifzal Khan was found guilty of two counts of rape and one count of sexual exploitation. Gajnfar Hussain was convicted in relation to one rape case.
The victim was aged between 13 and 14 when she was lured into a cycle of sexual abuse. Initially, Mudassar Hussain was the first to exploit her, followed by Gajnfar Hussain and Kamir Ifzal Khan at various times between 2008 and 2010.
The NCA reported that the girl had frequented a takeaway shop where Khan worked. He would provide her with food, money, and cigarettes, often taking her along during deliveries. Investigators revealed that Khan pressured her to engage with other men at a house he took her to. Despite her refusals, she was eventually left alone with another man who raped her.
These three men were arrested as part of “Operation Stovewood,” an investigation launched following the Rotherham sexual exploitation scandal that came to light in 2014. To date, approximately 1,150 potential victims have been identified and assisted under this operation, leading to 60 convictions against 55 individuals.
Sentencing for the three defendants was scheduled for Friday. Meanwhile, police are appealing to the public for assistance in locating both fugitives.
