Two paedophile cousins, Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali, were jailed for decades following their conviction for a horrific campaign of rape and sexual abuse against five vulnerable teenage girls in the late 1990s. The offences primarily occurred in Bury and other locations across Greater Manchester, as well as in Wales. Hussain, aged 54 from Manchester Road, Bury, was sentenced to 30 years in prison at Minshull Street Crown Court after a four-week trial.
The court heard that Hussain and Ali targeted girls from troubled backgrounds, exploiting their vulnerabilities by providing them with drink, drugs, lifts, and company as part of a deliberate grooming process. Prosecutor Anna Pope described how the defendants made the girls feel indebted, leading to sexual activity without true consent. The abuse took place in various settings, including houses, a hotel, cars, and a van. In one particularly harrowing incident, Hussain took a victim to a flat with a dirty mattress, where he arranged for six strangers to abuse her one by one.
Hussain was convicted of seven counts of rape and seven counts of indecent assault. He played a central role in the abuse, raping and assaulting girls while also arranging for other girls to be available for other men. The trio, including Hussain's brother Ghulam Hussain who fled the country, ran market stalls and hosted parties where girls were plied with drugs and alcohol, expecting them to provide sexual services in return.
One victim's impact statement, read in court, highlighted the profound damage caused: 'I was shamed. I was ashamed. I was labelled. These crimes made me feel disgusting and dirty. I felt like a lesser person. I have lived in a perpetual cycle of fear. They stole my identity before it had a chance to ever fully form. I am now free. I know now there is nothing wrong with me - there is something wrong with you. That shame should never have been mine to carry, it was all yours. You are nothing but paedophiles, rapists, scum of the earth, lowest of the low.' The investigation began when one victim came forward, leading officers to approach the others.
Judge Bernadette Baxter, in sentencing, stated: 'You have shown not one jot of remorse or insight into your behaviour. You groomed, sexually abused and exploited the teen girls. Your offending can properly be described as a campaign of rape.' Defence for Hussain, Rachel Shenton, noted his 20 years without trouble, hard work, and role as a father, but the judge imposed the severe sentence. Hussain will serve two-thirds of his term in prison and remain on the Sex Offenders Register for life. The case was reported by the Manchester Evening News and covered by the Mirror.