Plymouth rapists jailed for brutal crimes against young girls

Two men have been sentenced to prison for their involvement in a series of heinous crimes where they raped three young girls at house parties in Plymouth in December 2017. Abalzaq Salih, aged 31 and a resident of Plymouth, received a 19-year prison sentence after being convicted of two counts of raping victims. Saif Kahya, aged 32 from Liverpool, was sentenced to 12 years for the rape of an additional teen victim. The case was heard at Plymouth Crown Court, where Judge Peter Johnson remarked that the case had "brought back extremely painful memories" for those involved and praised their "commendable inner strength" to come forward. The court learned that the offenders had supplied drugs and alcohol to the victims, who were aged 16 and under at the time, during the parties. This abuse was uncovered after a girl came forward, inspired by watching a BBC drama titled "Three Girls," which detailed a high-profile investigation in Rochdale. In August, Salih was found guilty of two counts of raping a female aged 15 or under, while Kahya was convicted of raping a female aged 16 or over. The victims’ statements highlighted the profound impact of the abuse; one girl, 14 at the time, described feeling "dirty" and like her "childhood innocence" had been taken, stating "I can't control when I'm reminded of what he did to me. It's a memory I will never forget and have no control of. It's changed my life forever." Another victim, also 14 at the time, expressed feelings of being "degraded" and emphasized her determination to move forward, saying, "I need to move forward and need the success of my life I always wanted. I won't let him stop me. I hope he knows he's changed my life forever." A 16-year-old girl, who was raped by Kahya, described her trauma by stating, "Being raped isn't something I will learn to live with," and recounted how she became a "recluse," transforming from a bubbly girl to someone "damaged and sullen." During sentencing, prosecutors read statements from the victims. The defense lawyers for the accused argued that neither man had previous convictions, had lived in the community for seven years post-offense, and had not reoffended. However, Judge Johnson condemned their falsehoods, saying, "Your lies were exposed for being utterly ridiculous. You have been lying fluently not only in interview but also under oath. You tried to deny the undeniable." The judge also commended the victims and witnesses for their courage in seeking justice.