The eight men who have been found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing teenage girls in Oxford have been awarded a total of almost 90 years in prison.
The men, of Asian heritage, are aged between 36 and 48 and their targeted girls as young as 13 and they were plied with drugs and drinks before they were raped. The girls were forced to have sex at parties, parks and even inside parked cars.
Investigation into the gang discovered widespread grooming. Investigating officer DS Nicola Douglas said none of the perpetrators have admitted their guilt or shown any remorse.
Praising the victims for coming forward, she said: "The impact of these offences on the victims, their families and relationships cannot be underestimated. There are devastating consequences which last long after the offence is committed.
"Without these women telling their stories, perpetrators who exploit and commit serious sexual offences against some of the most vulnerable children and young adults in our communities will remain hidden, unpunished and free to do more harm."
During the trial, the victims described how they were targeted during their young teens and had to tolerate brutal treatment, which included being gang raped and physically assaulted. Some were trafficked, locked up and even threatened with death. One woman described how she was made to have sex with as many as five men.
One victim said that she believed the men really cared about her. "[They] made you believe they actually care about you, and they actually don't. Like you are something important to them, that you are a friend to them. And, really, it wasn't that. It was just to get what they want. It took me some years to realise that."
The perpetrators are Assad Hussain, 37, Moinul Islam, 42 Haji Khan, 38, Raheem Ahmed, 41, Kamran Khan, 36, Kameer Iqbal, 39, Alladitta Yousaf, 48, and Khalid Hussain, 38.
The gang was convicted of more than 20 offences, which included rape and indecent assault, between 1998 and 2005.
