Riyasth Hussain

Riyasth Hussain, a 45-year-old father of three, was convicted at Sheffield Crown Court of three counts of rape following a trial where a jury rejected his denials. The offences occurred in Rotherham between 2004 and 2008, targeting two victims: a girl who was approximately 13 years old at the time and a woman in her 20s. The underage victim had endured abuse from multiple men since the age of 11, being passed from one abuser to another, which normalised the exploitation in her eyes and allowed Hussain to take advantage of her fragility.

In a powerful confrontation during the sentencing hearing on 19 February 2026, the now-adult victim, protected by anonymity, addressed Hussain directly from the witness box. She stated: "You didn’t just steal my childhood, you stole the rest of my life." Describing the assaults, she recounted how Hussain would rape her "at any opportunity" and then discard her "like I was nothing". In her victim impact statement, she detailed the enduring trauma: "My thoughts freeze whenever I think of his name... I am constantly distracted with the living nightmare of what he did to me." The second victim, also anonymised, expressed in a statement read to the court: "I cannot ever forgive this monster for what he’s done to me. I will hate him to the day I die. He has completely ruined my life."

Judge Sarah Wright, sentencing Hussain, praised the victims' courage, noting that the young girl had been so extensively exploited that she believed the abuse was normal. The judge remarked: "Their lives are affected forever. The harm you have caused cannot and never will be repaired." She highlighted that for years the women had been unheard but had now shown "incalculable courage" in ensuring justice. Hussain received a total of 20 years' imprisonment, with concurrent sentences including eight years for the rape of the adult victim.

The case was investigated by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Stovewood, a major inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan Hastings commended the victims' determination, stating: "It is thanks to the victims’ evidence and the extensive work of our specialist Operation Stovewood investigators to corroborate that evidence, that Hussain has at last faced justice." The conviction underscores ongoing efforts to address historical sexual abuse in the area, with Hussain described in court and media reports as a "monster" for his predatory actions.