Three individuals convicted of sexually abusing vulnerable teenagers in the 1990s have received longer prison sentences following legal intervention.
Ibrar Hussain, 47, along with brothers Imtiaz, 64, and Fayaz Ahmed, 45, faced an appeal led by Lucy Rigby, based on their sentences being unduly lenient.
The case highlighted that an unnamed victim, who moved to Caley, West Yorkshire in the early ’90s as a vulnerable teenager, became involved with these three men. In exchange for money, drugs, and alcohol, she was coerced into sexual acts.
The court heard that over several years, she was raped repeatedly, including by Hussain and the Ahmed brothers, with much of the abuse occurring in an apartment above the family’s grocery store.
At the time of the crimes, Hussain and Fayaz Ahmed were 18 and 17, respectively, while Imtiaz Ahmed was already in his 30s.
In a statement made to the court, the victim expressed that nearly three decades after the abuse, she still experiences flashbacks and struggles with trust, even towards those meant to protect her.
Rigby remarked, “This case involves shocking and horrifying abuse of vulnerable teenagers by these three predators. I brought these sentences to the Court of Appeal.”
She expressed her approval of the significant increases in sentencing made by the court during a recent hearing.
The trio was found guilty in January. Initially, Ibrar Hussain received a sentence of six years and six months, which has now been raised to 10 years. Imtiaz Ahmed’s sentence moved from nine years to 11, while Fayaz Ahmed saw his sentence increase from seven years and six months to 10 years.
