Police praise bravery of young rape victims

An investigation was sparked after girl watched BBC drama Three Girls which dramatised the 2012 grooming and sex trafficking case in Rochdale

Police and a children's charity have praised "enormous bravery" of young women who revealed vile rapes by men who plied them with drink and drugs when they were vulnerable teens.

Three of the men have been jailed for a total of 44 years for sexual offences against the young women, some of whom were just 15 at the time.

During the six-week trial at Plymouth Crown Court, the court heard how the older men deliberately targeted four teenage girls, debilitating them with alcohol at house parties across Plymouth.

At one point in the trial, a statement was read out from the mother of one of the girls who gave evidence, stating that she was convinced something was being done to her daughter at the parties she was going to involving the men she and other girls were meeting and she had called the authorities telling them they needed to take action.

Her statement explained she "felt like I was fighting the whole world and no-one was listening to me".

She wrote that the situation finally "came to a head" when the short BBC TV drama Three Girls was broadcast which depicted the high-profile Child Sexual Exploitation investigation in Rochdale.

The mother said she made her daughter sit and watch it. She wrote how her daughter "got really upset and started crying" before turning to her mother and saying 'mum's that's exactly what was happening to us".

She said that with her daughter's consent she called police saying the young girl was prepared to make a complaint "and immediately they cared".

The girl reported a series of parties in Plymouth in 2017 where girls had been given alcohol and money to buy drugs, before being groomed and sexually assaulted by the men present. Devon and Cornwall Police launched Operation Garcia in 2017, a complex and lengthy child sexual exploitation investigation which resulted in the men being charged.

The court heard that the victims were abused at three house parties held at the defendants’ addresses during 2017.

Anthony Anantharajah, aged 35, from London, was today handed a prison sentence of 13 years with seven years on licence after being convicted of one count of rape of a female aged 16 or over.

Abalzaq Salih, 31, from Plymouth, was sentenced last week to 19 years in prison after being convicted the rapes of two underage teenage girls in May and December 2017

Saif Kahya, aged 32, from Liverpool, was also sentenced last week to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of one count of rape of a third teenage girl in December 2017.

Plymouth's Police Commander, Temporary Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, said: "I want to start by praising the immense bravery of each one of the survivors in this case. They have all been through a harrowing ordeal yet have still managed to find the courage to support the investigation, and criminal justice proceedings. Without them, we would not have been able to achieve this outcome today.

"I hope the sentencing can bring some sense of justice for all involved in this case, as they strive to move on with their lives.

"This police investigation started in 2017. What followed was a detailed and methodical gathering of evidence, by a committed team of individuals. Alongside that, relationships needed to be built. Relationships that eventually allowed the survivors and witnesses to build trust, not just in the police, but the system as a whole.

"As a police service, we cannot build that trust in isolation, and I am grateful to the collective partnerships that exist across our city. Partnerships that are made up of passionate and caring people, who are here to help our children and young people in rebuilding their lives after such horrendous experiences.

"Throughout the investigation each victim received continuous and co-ordinated support through bespoke safeguarding and care plans run by police, Plymouth City Council’s social care team and the charity Barnardo’s Exceed, which is appointed by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to support children and young people where there are concerns about child sexual exploitation.

"Devon & Cornwall Police is committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and targeting those who seek to prey on the vulnerable. The sentences today are testament to that.

"Our message to other survivors of sexual abuse is that we, as a city, are here to listen, to work with you, to support you, and to achieve justice."

Duncan Stanway, Barnardo’s assistant director in the South West, said: "It has been a very traumatic seven years for these young women, who were aged 14 to 16 when they were sexually exploited.

"They have shown enormous bravery in reporting these crimes and in providing the evidence that has allowed justice to be done. Barnardo’s has been able to provide long-term support to these young women.

"Every year Barnardo’s supports thousands of children and young people who are at risk of exploitation, or have experienced it, to help them recover from trauma and prevent further harm.

"Barnardo’s is calling on the Government to guarantee access to specialist support services for all children who are abused and exploited."

If you have been affected by this article there is support available:

You can visit victimcare-dc.org to access support services and information on your rights and how to navigate the criminal justice system.

You can also call Victim Support on 08 08 16 89 111 or Devon and Cornwall Police’s Victim Care Unit on 01392 475900

Advice and support can also be found at:

National Rape Crisis Helpline 0808 802 9999
Devon and Cornwall Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARC) 0300 3034626

For more: www.dc.police.uk/Rape-SexualAssault

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