LORD AHMED OF ROTHERHAM CONVICTED OF SERIOUS SEXUAL OFFENCES IN SHEFFIELD COURT
Nazir Ahmed, the former peer known as Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, has been convicted of multiple serious sexual assaults that occurred when he was a teenager in the 1970s.The 64-year-old was found guilty on Wednesday of engaging in buggery with a young boy in Rotherham and making two attempts to rape a girl.
At the time of the offenses, the legal term used was 'buggery' to describe the specific sexual assault.
Ahmed was charged alongside his two older brothers, Mohammed Farouq (71) and Mohammed Tariq (65).
However, both brothers were deemed unfit to stand trial.
During the trial, a woman testified that Ahmed attempted to rape her in 1973 and 1974, when he was approximately 16 or 17 years old, despite her being much younger.
Additionally, Ahmed was convicted of a serious sexual assault against a boy under the age of 11 in 1972.
The jury was played a recording of a telephone conversation between the two women complainants, which was made after the woman contacted the police in 2016.
Prosecutor Tom Little QC explained that the call was initiated after the man had emailed the woman, stating, “I have evidence against that paedophile.” Although Ahmed denied the allegations, claiming they were a “malicious fiction,” the prosecution argued that the recorded call proved the claims were credible and not fabricated.
In the recording, the woman told the man, “What they did to you was utterly wrong and it’s time now to seek justice for the little boy who could not protect himself.” Ahmed, who refused all allegations, was convicted on Wednesday of two counts of attempted rape and one of buggery.
He was appointed as a life peer by Tony Blair but resigned from the Labour Party in 2013.
The case also involved Ahmed's brothers, Farouq and Tariq, who faced charges of indecent assault related to the same boy.
The jury found that both brothers committed the acts they were accused of.
Judge Mr Justice Lavender ordered Ahmed to be bailed ahead of sentencing scheduled for February 4 at the same court.
Rosemary Ainslie of the Crown Prosecution Service emphasized that the verdicts demonstrated the credibility of the victims' accounts, regardless of the delay in prosecution and the defenses raised.
She stated, “One of these defendants held a position of power, influence and responsibility for some time in the House of Lords, but this case clearly illustrates that where there is sufficient evidence, even in challenging cases, the CPS will bring a prosecution, put evidence before a jury and see rightful convictions.” A previous trial in the case collapsed last year due to prosecution errors.
Ainslie acknowledged that “disclosure failures should not happen,” but highlighted the difficulties of managing large volumes of information and ensuring proper disclosure for a fair trial.
She concluded by reaffirming the CPS’s commitment to addressing problems, pursuing justice, and ensuring fair trials for all involved, stating, “The court’s ability to ensure defendants receive a fair trial and victims see justice remains steadfast.”
