Man Sentenced to 20 Years for R@pe of 13-Year-Old and Woman in Her 20s

Riyasth Hussain, a 45-year-old resident, has been sentenced to two decades behind bars for the r@pe of a 13-year-old girl along with another woman in her twenties.

The court proceedings revealed that Hussain, a father of three, assaulted the young girl, who had faced abuse since she was just 11 years old, during the period from 2004 to 2008.

Now in her thirties, the victim confronted Hussain in court, stating: 'You didn't just steal my childhood, you stole the rest of my life.' She recounted how she first encountered Hussain when he intervened during an incident of verbal abuse directed at her from another man on the streets of Rotherham.

The incidents occurred between 2004 and 2006 when Hussain was approximately 24 years old, as reported by the National Crime Agency (NCA). In a disturbing revelation, it was noted that on one occasion, Hussain drove alongside the girl, encouraged her to enter his vehicle, and subsequently took her to an industrial area where he raped her.

He repeated his heinous act, assaulting her a second time in his car after taking her to a secluded field.

During the trial, Hussain was also found guilty of an additional r@pe charge involving another woman from 2008, who was then in her twenties. This victim reported that she was assaulted in a friend's residence by a man she did not recognize.

Equipped with a description of Hussain and his vehicle, authorities were able to identify him as the perpetrator. Consequently, Hussain received an eight- year sentence for this second conviction, which will run concurrently with the eight- and twelve-year sentences he received for his earlier crimes against the underage girl.

This totals his imprisonment to 20 years.

In her impact statement, the younger victim expressed that Hussain would take advantage of her at every opportunity, revealing she felt like she was discarded afterward. She declared, 'When you met me, I was just a fragile, vulnerable little girl who you could easily abuse. Today I’m a woman seeking justice. I finally received it today.'

Meanwhile, the second victim stated in court, 'I cannot ever forgive this monster for what he's done to me.' She further articulated her continuous mental struggle, stating the memories of Hussain haunt her daily.

Judge Sarah Wright, during sentencing, acknowledged the bravery of both women, affirming that Hussain’s actions caused irreversible damage. She pointed out, 'Their lives are ruined forever. The harm you have inflicted cannot be undone.'

The judge noted the significant bravery displayed by the women in sharing their experiences, stressing that they had previously felt voiceless.

Hussain has now been marked as the 50th individual convicted under Operation Stovewood, a comprehensive investigation by the National Crime Agency that looked into child sexual exploitation cases in Rotherham from 1997 to 2013.

After being identified as a potential victim, the younger woman cooperated with the investigation, recounting the r@pe by someone she knew as 'Riaz,' which led to identifying Hussain as the attacker. Hussain was apprehended during the 2019 investigation and subsequently found guilty of both r@pes.

Alan Hastings, a senior investigator with the NCA, highlighted the eloquence and dignity with which the survivors described their ongoing traumas. He emphasized the importance of support systems in place for victims of child sexual abuse.

Liz Fell, from the Crown Prosecution Service, indicated that Hussain had exploited his two victims, noting that one was just a child during his offenses and had been previously groomed by others before falling prey to Hussain's predatory behavior.