A gang from Rotherham gave 11-year-old girls drugs and alcohol and then raped them in a supermarket car park, a cemetery and behind a kindergarten

A gang from Rotherham gave two girls aged just 11 drugs and alcohol and then raped them in a supermarket car park, a cemetery and behind a kindergarten.

Seven men were convicted yesterday of a series of sex offences against children in the early 2000s. The jury heard that one of them was locked in the home of an abuser and only managed to escape by climbing out of a window.

The gang picked up their victims from their children’s homes and subjected them to savage abuse that was described by officers investigating the wider Rotherham grooming scandal as “some of the most serious” they have ever witnessed.

In one particularly gruesome case, one of the girls was taken to a hotel where she was raped by two men. On another occasion, the same girl was locked in the home of one of her tormentors and raped at least twice before escaping.

The gang was eventually brought to justice as part of Operation Stovewood – a major investigation into the sexual exploitation of children in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 led by the National Crime Agency, known as Britain’s FBI.

The victims, who were between 11 and 16 years old at the time of the crime and were both in care, were manipulated and often pumped full of alcohol or cannabis before being raped or attacked.

The court heard that the attacks took place in various locations around Rotherham, including in a park and on a car parked next to a supermarket.

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Following a nine-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court, seven men were found guilty of a range of offences yesterday.

All seven were remanded in custody pending sentencing, which is scheduled to take place on September 12 and 13, 2024.

An eighth man was acquitted of rape charges.

Operation Stovewood remains the largest investigation of its kind in the UK, with more than 1,150 potential victims identified.

With the guilty verdicts, a total of 33 people have now been convicted of criminal offenses.

Mohammed Amar, 42, from Rotherham, was found guilty of two counts of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

Yasser Ajaibe, 39, was found guilty of sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl.

Mohammed Zameer Sadiq, 49, was found guilty of rape and sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 13.

Mohammed Siyab, 44, was found guilty of two counts of rape, sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and human trafficking within the UK for the purpose of sexual exploitation.

Abid Saddiq, 43, who previously lived in Rotherham, was found guilty of three counts of rape, including one of a girl under the age of 13, and of indecently touching the person of a 12-year-old girl.

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Tahir Yasin, 38, from Sheffield, was found guilty of eight counts of rape.

Ramin Bari, 37, also from Sheffield, was found guilty of four counts of rape.

Stuart Cobb, NCA senior investigator, said: “The statements made by these victims are among the most harrowing we have ever heard and the offences are among the most serious that officers involved in Operation Stovewood have investigated to date.”

“I pay tribute to the courage of these two victims in coming forward and telling their stories. That was key to these convictions and I hope they feel that justice has finally been done.

“What happened to them was horrific. Their attackers were cruel, manipulative men who thought it was okay to take advantage of vulnerable young girls and dehumanise their victims in the worst possible way.

“We are determined to do everything in our power to support victims like her, to get justice for them and to track down the perpetrators, no matter how much time passes.”

The men will be sentenced in the same court on September 12 and 13.

Zoe Becker, legal manager at the CPS, said: “These seven men knew that these young girls could be exploited – they specifically targeted their victims and prepared them for sex using drugs and alcohol.”

“These defendants conducted a campaign of violence against the two girls, who were repeatedly subjected to severe abuse.”

“We are grateful to the victims who have come forward and testified about the horrific abuse they suffered. This has been a complex and lengthy investigation and it is only thanks to their steadfastness that we have been able to bring these perpetrators to justice.

“This is the biggest case to be heard under Operation Stovewood this year and I hope this conviction sends a clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement, will work tirelessly to ensure justice and prosecute those who sexually exploit children wherever this abuse has taken place.

“I encourage all victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them. It is never too late to seek justice – you are not alone and there is help.”