Akhtar Dogar

Seven men, including Akhtar Dogar, were convicted at the Old Bailey for their roles in a brutal paedophile ring that targeted vulnerable girls in Oxford between 2004 and January 2012. The group systematically groomed, raped, tortured, and trafficked six victims aged between 11 and 15, many of whom were in local authority care. The abuse involved plying the girls with drugs and alcohol, forcing them into prostitution, and subjecting them to extreme violence, including branding and backstreet abortions.

Akhtar Dogar, 32, from Oxford, was one of two brothers sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 17 years. Presiding Judge Peter Rook described the crimes as 'a series of sexual crimes of the utmost depravity,' noting that the men targeted 'young girls because they were vulnerable, underage and out of control.' Specifically addressing Akhtar Dogar, the judge stated that he had robbed one victim, known as Girl A, of her teenage years, saying, 'You took her soul, she felt as though it had been ripped out. You put her parents through years of torture.'

The trial, which lasted 18 weeks, exposed significant failings by Thames Valley Police and Oxford social services, who were informed of the abuse as early as 2006 but failed to act decisively until late 2010. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Morton, who led the investigation, emphasised the police's commitment to pursuing such offenders, warning, 'If you even think about carrying out the sexual atrocities that we have seen in this case, then think again. Look over your shoulder and keep looking over your shoulder.'

The convictions followed one of the largest child sexual exploitation investigations in recent years, with the men found guilty on 43 charges. Chief Crown Prosecutor Baljit Ubhey highlighted the CPS's prioritisation of such cases, stating, '[V]ictims who are forced to succumb [...] by the use of such tactics do not, in the eyes of the law, consent to it.' The case drew comparisons to similar grooming scandals in Rochdale, Derby, and Telford, underscoring systemic issues in protecting vulnerable children.