Three jailed for rape of girls in Plymouth
The court heard they were given drink and drugs at house parties in 2017
Three men have been jailed for a total of 44 years for raping vulnerable young girls in Plymouth.
Anthony Anantharajah, aged 35, from London, was sentenced on Monday 30 September, to 13 years in prison with seven years on licence after being convicted of one count of rape of a female aged 16 or over.
It follows the sentencing of two other men last week.
Abalzaq Salih, 31, from Plymouth, was sentenced on Wednesday 25 September to 19 years in prison after being convicted of two counts of rape of a female aged 15 or under.
Saif Kahya, aged 32, from Liverpool, was also sentenced on Wednesday 25 September to 12 years in prison after being found guilty of one count of rape of a female aged 16 or over.
All three men had denied the charges but were found guilty at Plymouth Crown Court on Tuesday 20 August.
During the six-week trial, the court heard how the older men deliberately targeted four teenage girls, debilitating them with alcohol at house parties for the purpose of serious sexual assault.
The abuse came to light after another girl came forward and gave key evidence to police having watched the BBC drama Three Girls which depicted the high-profile Child Sexual Exploitation investigation in Rochdale.
She reported a series of parties in Plymouth in 2017 where girls had been given alcohol and money to buy drugs, before being groomed and sexually assaulted by the men present.
Devon & Cornwall Police launched Operation Garcia in 2017, a complex and lengthy child sexual exploitation investigation which resulted in the men being charged.
The court heard that the victims were abused at three house parties held at the defendants’ addresses during 2017.
Prosecutor Dan Pawson-Pounds said the defendants were in their 20s or 30s at the time and their victims were aged between 14 and 16, creating a “power imbalance.”
He said: “These events had one thing in common – they were designed by these defendants and others to exploit vulnerable young girls; to get them away from whatever family structures they had, give them money, drink, and drugs, and then to sexually assault them when their defences were down.”
At the sentencing hearings, statements from the victims were read out in court.
One victim, who had been 16 when Kahya raped her, said in her statement: “I didn’t speak for a few days after I was raped. I now know that this is because I was in shock. I felt terrified, numb and I wasn’t able to process what had happened. I didn’t know what to say. I knew I had been raped but couldn’t remember the finer details because I had got so drunk on the alcohol I was given. I wanted to end my life, so I didn’t have to face each day and live with what happened.”
One of the youngest of the victims, who was 14 when she was raped, spoke of how she had stopped Salih from raping one of her friends before he had then turned on her. She said: “I changed almost overnight from the happy, smiley, and outgoing child that everyone knew me to be. The one who loved life. I became angry, frustrated, secretive and broken. I no longer smiled or laughed. I was sad all the time and I could see no way out. I was hiding the truth about the worst thing that could happen to me- to be raped by a stranger, an older man, at a flat where I was trying to care for two of my friends who had passed out due to the alcohol the two men had given them.”
Salih had also raped another 14-year-old while she was unconscious and intoxicated. In her statement, she said: “I am ashamed, embarrassed, frustrated, and angry. I felt dirty and disgusted that an older man could do that to me while I was asleep. I remember feeling lost in life, not knowing what to do. Each day was a struggle after it happened.” She added; “He took away my childhood innocence and my opportunity to mature into a young adult without the trauma hanging over me.”
The last victim statement was read out at court on Monday 30 September when Anantharjah faced sentencing. The victim was just 16 when he raped her. In her statement she said: “The impact on my life remains huge. I will never recover from what Anthony did to me. I will never forget this face, his smell, my fear, and feelings of disgust, my loss of respect for myself and my body.”
"They have been through a harrowing ordeal"
Plymouth Commander, Temporary Chief Superintendent Scott Bradley, said: “I want to start by praising the immense bravery of each one of the survivors in this case. They have all been through a harrowing ordeal yet have still managed to find the courage to support the investigation, and criminal justice proceedings. Without them, we would not have been able to achieve this outcome today.
“I hope the sentencing can bring some sense of justice for all involved in this case, as they strive to move on with their lives.
“This police investigation started in 2017. What followed was a detailed and methodical gathering of evidence, by a committed team of individuals. Alongside that, relationships needed to be built. Relationships that eventually allowed the survivors and witnesses to build trust, not just in the police, but the system as a whole. As a police service, we cannot build that trust in isolation, and I am grateful to the collective partnerships that exist across our city. Partnerships that are made up of passionate and caring people, who are here to help our children and young people in rebuilding their lives after such horrendous experiences.
“Throughout the investigation each victim received continuous and co-ordinated support through bespoke safeguarding and care plans run by police, Plymouth City Council’s social care team and the charity Barnardo’s Exceed, which is appointed by Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez to support children and young people where there are concerns about child sexual exploitation.
“Devon & Cornwall Police is committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and targeting those who seek to prey on the vulnerable. The sentences today are testament to that.
“Our message to other survivors of sexual abuse is that we, as a city, are here to listen, to work with you, to support you, and to achieve justice.”
"A very traumatic seven years"
Duncan Stanway, Barnardo’s assistant director in the South West, said: “It has been a very traumatic seven years for these young women, who were aged 14 to 16 when they were sexually exploited.
“They have shown enormous bravery in reporting these crimes and in providing the evidence that has allowed justice to be done.
“Barnardo’s has been able to provide long-term support to these young women.
“Every year Barnardo’s supports thousands of children and young people who are at risk of exploitation, or have experienced it, to help them recover from trauma and prevent further harm.
“Barnardo’s is calling on the Government to guarantee access to specialist support services for all children who are abused and exploited.”