Two paedophiles have today been jailed at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court for the systematic grooming and sexual abuse of vulnerable teenage girls in Bury during the late 1990s.
Manzorr Hussain aged 54 and Imtiaz Ali,53 targeted vulnerable girls.
The men groomed the victims by offering them alcohol, drugs, money, and lifts in their cars before subjecting them to repeated sexual abuse in homes, vehicles, and other locations in Bury and parts of Wales in the 1990s.
The abuse was orchestrated and sustained, with victims often being made to feel indebted to the men. In some cases, they were threatened or coerced into sexual acts.
Hussain and Ali, who are cousins, both ran market stalls at the time, which is how they first met some of the girls.
In powerful victim impact statements read out in court, one of the victim’s said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult time, having to relive what happened. The offences those men committed have caused a lot of trauma. My family and friends deserve closure.
“My physical and mental health has been affected in many ways. I suffer daily with fibromyalgia, which is known to be caused by trauma and abuse. Every day is a struggle, I’m in constant pain and suffer with depression, anxiety and PTSD.
“I lost my childhood, my education and my career and now I’m unable to work.
“They took away my ability to feel loved and safe. I barely recognise myself these days. They took my dignity, my self-worth, my trust and my identity.
“Everyday I try to fight, try to rebuild my life but its an ongoing struggle and some days feel impossible.”
Our unique and specialist Child Sexual Exploitation Major Investigation Team (CSE MIT) is working tirelessly to identify offenders, secure prosecutions, and deliver justice for survivors.
Survivors are at the heart of every investigation led by our CSE Major Investigation Team. From the moment they come forward, they receive tailored support from our partner agencies to help them through the judicial process and beyond.
Achieving outcomes that survivors are satisfied with – whether through convictions or other forms of justice – is central to our approach. We are actively working with dozens of survivors on numerous investigations to ensure no offender gets away with this. When you are ready, we will listen and you will be believed.
Chief Inspector Ian Partington, senior investigating officer in this case, said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the victims in this case for reporting their abuse to us. Their powerful testimony allowed us to conduct a thorough investigation which has culminated in justice being served today.
“Manzorr Hussain and Imtiaz Ali are sexual predators who deliberately targeted vulnerable young girls. They thought they had got away with their offending, but the first brave victim who came forward and spoke to our officers opened up the whole case.
“Even after many years, the victims were able to recall specific addresses and locations where the abuse took place. This, along with additional evidence – such as historical records from social services and schools – provided vital details that helped establish timelines and linked the defendants to particular places and dates of the alleged offences.
“Working in close collaboration with the Crown Prosecution Service, officers and prosecutors were able to build a compelling case against both Ali and Hussain.
“Our Bury Complex Safeguarding team is one of 10 dedicated teams working tirelessly across Greater Manchester to keep children and young people safe and bring offenders to justice. This is alongside our specialist unit investigating non-recent CSE which has been nationally highlighted this year as positive practice in recent reports from Baroness Casey and His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary.
“As an investigation team we are pleased with the outcome of today’s sentencings and hope that the victims can feel some sense of justice being served.
“Time is no barrier when it comes to being sexually abused – no matter how long ago it was, or how old you were at the time, we will listen to you. We will support you, investigate, and act robustly against perpetrators. We will take your allegations seriously and treat you with dignity and respect.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Hussain and Ali exhibited predatory behaviour by exploiting their roles as market traders to meet and groom vulnerable teenage girls.
“The five victims who spoke out about the abuse were tricked into believing they were in relationships, offered alcohol, drugs, money and lifts in cars before they were subjected to appalling acts of sexual abuse.
“Child sexual abuse can have profound and long-lasting consequences on those who experience it, so it’s also crucial victims can access the specialist support they need to rebuild their lives.”
“Young people must feel able to speak out if something is wrong and it is also important that adults educate themselves about the signs of grooming so they can prevent it from happening.”
