The European Union & It's Problems.

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And after Rotherham, the next one in the dock is the Bradford case.
Let's ruminate on a possible connection.

Bradford grooming: Nine jailed for abusing girls

'Nine men who raped and abused two teenage girls who were living in a children's home have been jailed.
The girls were aged 14 when the men first began to use drink, drugs and violence to groom and sexually
exploit them.


(From top left, clockwise) Basharat Khaliq, Saeed Akhtar, Naveed Akhtar, Parvaze Ahmed, Zeeshan Ali,
Fahim Iqbal, Izar Hussain, Mohammed Usman and Kieran Harris were all jailed at Bradford Crown Court.

Bradford Crown Court heard the abuse started after the girls moved into the home in 2008.
The nine were convicted of 22 offences including rape and inciting child prostitution.
A tenth defendant was cleared of rape.

One of the women, Fiona Goddard, decided to waive her legal right to life-long anonymity to show other victims
of abuse "there is nothing to be ashamed of".

Sentencing the men to jail terms ranging from 20 years to 18 months, Judge Durham Hall QC said: "You appear
not to have shown any respect for the minimum standards of decent behaviour."
During the trial, which lasted more than six weeks, prosecutor Karma Melly QC said the gang had taken advantage
of the girls' age and situation. She said: "Some of the defendants were actually forceful, threatening and violent,
others used alcohol and drugs, others created a manipulated relationship in order to facilitate their sexual exploitation."

Reading from an impact statement, Ms Goddard, 25, told the court: "I can't change what's happened, but I can rebuild
my life."

The jury heard it was Basharat Khaliq who first met the girls in 2008, when he was 27 and they were both 14, before
taking them to a petrol station and buying them a bottle of vodka.

Over the following years he groomed and repeatedly raped one of the girls and on one occasion abused Ms Goddard.
At about the same time the girls also separately met brothers Saeed and Naveed Akthar, with much of the abuse taking
place at Saeed's former address on Saffron Drive.

'Used as a prostitute'
Ms Melly said: "Fiona was used for sex by the men that came to the property.
"She was used by Saeed to get drugs and bring them back, she was told to go and meet dealers and to ensure she
came back with drugs though she was given no money for them.
"She was in effect used as a prostitute on his instruction."

The allegations came to light in 2014 when Ms Goddard saw a report on the grooming and sexual abuse of hundreds
of young girls in Rotherham on BBC Look North. She asked her then partner to contact the BBC to say that similar abuse
was happening elsewhere and the BBC "quite properly" notified police.

Statement from Fiona Goddard
I would like to take this opportunity to explain why I decided to waive my anonymity.
It's because I wanted to show anyone who has gone through, or is going through, anything similar that there is nothing to be
ashamed of. Crimes like these haven't always been dealt with appropriately in the past, but I am proud to say that the police
and other services are working really hard to change this and the stigma surrounding it.

I would like to assure people that if they did come forward, they would be believed and supported.
Speaking outside court, Fiona Goddard told the BBC: "These men have influenced every aspect of my life, for as long as I can
remember. "Today, I got to stand in front of them and take that control back and know that they are never going to impact my life
again."

Judge Hall told the courtroom: "Your primary victim sits in court and that lady has shown the utmost courage.
"No doubt for years she felt she had no voice and that she was powerless - well she's got a voice now."
He added: "No major city in England and Wales seems to have been spared this problem of grooming by older men acting
together or alone."

Verdicts and sentences
*Basharat Khaliq, 38, of Deanwood Crescent, Bradford, was found guilty of five counts of rape
and one count of assault by penetration and jailed for 20 years

*Saeed Akhtar, 55, of Back Girlington Road, Bradford, was convicted of two counts of inciting
child prostitution and one count of rape and jailed for 20 years

*Naveed Akhtar, 43, of Newport Place, Bradford, was found guilty of two counts of rape and cleared
of one count of rape. He was jailed for 17 years

*Parvaze Ahmed 36, of Farcliffe Road, Bradford, was convicted of three counts of rape and jailed for
17 years

*Izar Hussain, 32, of St Leonard's Road, Bradford, was found guilty of one count of rape, one count of
attempted rape and cleared of two counts of rape. He was jailed for 16 years

*Zeeshan Ali, 32, of Durham Terrace, Bradford, was convicted of one count of sexual assault and jailed
for 18 months

*Kieran Harris, 28, of Fir Parade, Dewsbury, was found guilty of two counts of rape and jailed for 17 years

*Faheem Iqbal, 27, of no fixed abode, was convicted of one count of aiding and abetting rape and jailed
for seven years

*Mohammed Usman, 31, of Quaker Street, Bradford, was found guilty of two counts of rape and jailed for
17 years

*Yasar Majid, 37, of Milton Keynes, was cleared of rape

Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor in north-west England, said: "Everybody responsible for the safeguarding of
these young girls and every other victim has failed them. "The police don't have the resources, the prosecutors don't have
the resources and most importantly the community groups don't have the resources and I think we will be in this position
and I will be having this conversation for years to come."

A statement from Bradford Council said: "The Safeguarding Board will look closely at this case to see if there are any lessons
we can learn that could help us keep young people safer."...'

BBC:

So basically speaking, Nazir Afzal, former Chief Crown Prosecutor is saying get used to it.
Affirmation for Mayor Sadiq Khan.