THREE brothers have been found guilty of a 14-year campaign of sexual abuse against young girls and are facing decades in prison.
Shaha Amran Miah (48), Shaha Alman Miah (47), and Shaha Joman Miah (38) committed sexual offences against multiple victims across Barrow-in-Furness and Leeds between 1996 and 2010, reported the MailOnline.
Amran and Joman were both accused of sexually abusing multiple children. Amran faced charges for 19 offenses, including sexual assault, intimidation, and kidnapping. Joman faced a more extensive list of charges, totaling 40 offenses, primarily related to sexual abuse.
He was accused of sexually abusing girls, including starting a relationship with a 14-year-old girl when he was in his twenties.
Alman, the youngest brother, was convicted of three sexual offense charges against a young girl.
The brothers targeted children as young as six or seven, using manipulation and grooming tactics, it was revealed after a trial at Preston Crown Court.
The eldest brother Amran's crimes extended to kidnapping a teenage girl who had dared to report his abuse to the police.
According to the report, the brothers, who operated with a sense of impunity, used various tactics to manipulate and exploit their victims.
They offered gifts, alcohol, and cigarettes to groom young girls, and threatened them with violence if they dared to speak out. The mosques, where they were trusted figures, became a place of terror for their victims, the court heard.
One particularly disturbing case involved a young girl who was sexually assaulted by Joman at a mosque in Leeds, where he taught the Quran. The abuse occurred weekly, with the girl, aged between seven and nine, subjected to horrific acts by her religious teacher.
Amran's predatory behaviour escalated to kidnapping when he abducted a teenage girl who had reported his abuse to the police. He threatened her life and warned her of the consequences of speaking out against him and his family.
The prosecution described how the brothers "groomed and exploited" their victims with no concern for the impact of their actions.
"I would like to commend the women who have come forward and supported a prosecution in this case. I hope they can now begin to move forward knowing the men who abused and exploited them will face justice," Derek Artis from the Crown Prosecution Service was quoted as saying.
Joman, also known as Saj, was involved in a sexually abusive relationship with a minor while working at his family's takeaway, Iesha's. The victim was between the ages of 13 and 16 during this period, while Miah was in his early to mid-20s.
He admitted to the sexual relationship but claimed he believed the girl was 16-years-old.
However,Tim Evans, the prosecutor, revealed that he had moved in with the victim and her mother, who struggled with drug and alcohol abuse.
"A key part of the 'relationship' was that Saj / Joman was treating (her) to pretty much whatever she wanted: Buying her presents, topping up her phone as well as buying her friends food," Evans said during the trial.
"He would also buy her cigarettes, beer and give her £40 in cash a month which she would tell her mum that it was her wages for working at the takeaway."
During one altercation at the takeaway, he allegedly made a claim that in his religion, a girl could marry an adult man at the age of nine.
Alman, known as 'Ali' also had sex with the same girl when she was 15, the court heard. Another victim said Amran, known by the nickname 'Jai', raped her.
The brothers will be sentenced on 21 February 2025, with prosecutors expecting significant prison terms.
Migrants in a dinghy crossing the English Channel
Sunder Katwala