Judge John Bevan QC, sentencing the men at the Old Bailey in London, singled out the gang’s treatment of one victim, who had an IQ of just 54. She was repeatedly raped, with men and boys sometimes lining up to abuse her, he said. “To you she was easy meat, a sexual plaything who no one cared about, no one cared for and who nobody would believe. Unfortunately for you, the jury did.”
Abdulla, whom the judge called a “dangerous predatory paedophile”, came to Britain from Iraq in 2002, fleeing persecution, but had since been convicted of offences including drug possession, the court heard. His barrister, James Buchanan, said Abdulla still denied his guilt over these charges.
Hassan Abdulla (33 years old) was jailed for 20 years. He was convicted of four rapes and three counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. Abdulla was also involved in drug dealing.
“The fact is that the defendants all came to this country with their families between five and 10 years ago and the majority are still teenagers,” he said. “The acquisition of a new language is not difficult if you put your mind to it. They have not attempted to learn the language of the country of their choice. The combination of the crimes you have committed and your attitude to these crimes both in this country and this court bring discredit on all of you in the dock and does a disservice to your fellow Roma who want to work hard in this country, improve themselves and make a positive contribution.”
2014 Peterborough Grooming Gang
One of the girls told how she was sexually abused by boys at parties and raped in the children’s play area at the Central Park in the city. A 13-year-old victim was forced to perform sex acts on up to 10 attackers in the park, as one of them urged: “Rape her,” the jury at the Old Bailey heard. She was sold for £20 a time by Mirga so he could spend the money on “weed and vodka”.
The Victim