Operation Stovewood: Three men found guilty of raping teen girls in Rotherham

Three men have been found guilty of raping teenage girls in Rotherham more than two decades ago.

The Crown Prosecution Service’s dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit prosecuted Kessur Ajaib, 43, Sageer Hussain, 39, and Mohammed Makhmood, 43, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Stovewood.

Operation Stovewood is a major investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.  

The defendants were found guilty following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. Ajaib and Makhmood were charged and convicted of raping one victim. Hussain was charged and convicted of raping a different victim.  

The victims were girls aged 13 to 15 and 14 to 16 when the offending took place, between 1999 and 2002.

Liz Fell, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said: "These men deliberately exploited the victims’ youth and vulnerability to manipulate and control them. They sexually abused the victims, who were children, in the most horrendous way .

“The treatment these young girls endured was appalling—they were attacked in isolated locations and subjected to humiliation and verbal abuse.

"I want to thank both women for their courage in coming forward and staying engaged with the investigation and prosecution. Their evidence was vital in building our case and securing justice after all these years.

"The Crown Prosecution Service will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to support all victims of child sexual abuse as we pursue justice on their behalf."

One victim was raped on separate occasions by Ajaib and Makhmood. The court heard that after Makhmood raped her, he called the victim demeaning names, spat at her and laughed at her.

The other victim was attacked by Hussain in an alleyway, where she was forcefully trapped against her will and told she wouldn’t be able to leave unless they had sex.  

After considering the evidence presented by the prosecution – including victims’ video-recorded interviews, corroborating witness statements and positive identifications of the defendants – the jury found the defendants guilty.  

Alan Hastings, NCA senior investigating officer, said: “Ajaib, Hussain and Makhmood subjected two young girls to devastating acts of sexual abuse, the consequences of which the victims have lived with for almost 25 years.

“Those victims have now, at last, had their voices heard and their accounts believed. While this could never eradicate the suffering caused by their attackers, I hope it will pave the way for the women to move forward with their lives.

“Both women have shown enormous strength and courage in speaking their truth and I am pleased that the National Crime Agency has, through careful investigation, helped them find justice.

“I encourage other victims of child sexual abuse to report what has happened to them, no matter how long ago the abuse occurred.”

To deal with the most complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated national Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit where Specialist Prosecutors use their expertise and experience to build strong cases and increase the number of successful prosecutions.