TWENTY men have been sentenced to a combined 219 years in prison for child sexual abuse in Calderdale. The men were convicted of abusing four girls aged between 12 and 16 in offences that took place between 2001 and 2010.
The investigations began in 2016 after police in Calderdale received multiple reports of child sexual abuse in the area. Legal restrictions were imposed early in the process, preventing public disclosure of case outcomes until now.
In 2016, police began investigating allegations that two girls in Calderdale were sexually abused between 2006 and 2009. The inquiry led to two separate trials at Bradford Crown Court. In the first trial, which began in October 2021, Shahzad Nowaz, 45; Nadeem Nassir, 44; Sajid Adalat, 48; Sohail Zaffer, 41; and Shazad Nazir, 49, were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 42 months to 11 years for crimes including rape and making threats to kill.
The second trial, which began in January 2022, led to further convictions. Nadeem Adalat, 39; Asad Mahmood, 38; Mohammed Rizwan Iqbal, 39; and Vaseem Adalat, 38, received prison sentences ranging from nine to 16 years for rape, with some sentences increased on appeal.
A separate 2016 investigation centred on a young girl abused between 2002 and 2006, beginning when she was 13 years old. This inquiry resulted in three more trials at Bradford Crown Court. In August 2022, Amir Shaban, 48, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for rape.
In October 2022, a second trial resulted in the convictions of Malik Quadeer, 67; Mohammed Ziarab, 55; Imran Raja Yasin, 45; Kamran Amin, 48; Mohammed Akhtar, 54; and Saquab Hussain, 46. They received sentences ranging from seven and a half years to 22 years. Akhtar died while serving his sentence.
In January 2024, a third trial resulted in the convictions of Haroon Sadiq, 40; Shafiq Ali Rafiq, 44; and Sarfraz Rabnawaz, 39, who received sentences of nine to 12 years.
An additional investigation in 2018 led to the conviction of Craig Mitchell, 55, for abuse committed in 2001 and 2002. Mitchell was sentenced to 12 years in December 2023.
Detective Chief Inspector Claire Smith said, “Firstly, I want to acknowledge the sheer courage of the victims and survivors in each of these investigations; not only for having the bravery to come forward initially but also for enduring the criminal justice system and the weight of criminal trials and reporting restrictions in place.” She added, “I welcome the sentences handed to these offenders for the abhorrent abuse these young girls were subjected to, which was heard by the jurors in each trial over the last few years.”
Smith also stated that tackling child sexual exploitation and abuse is a top priority for West Yorkshire Police and their partners.
The investigation has identified Pankaj Lamba as the prime suspect. (Photo: Northamptonshire Police)
