Rotherham Rapist Receives 20-Year Prison Sentence for Targeting Vulnerable Victims
Riyasth Hussain, a 45-year-old father of three, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape of a 13-year-old girl and another woman in Rotherham. The sentencing took place at Sheffield Crown Court, where both victims delivered powerful statements about the lifelong impact of Hussain's crimes.
Decades of Abuse and Trauma
The younger victim, now in her 30s, was first raped by Hussain when she was just 13 years old. The abuse occurred between 2004 and 2008, beginning when she was only 11. In court, she directly addressed Hussain from the witness box, stating, 'You didn't just steal my childhood, you stole the rest of my life.'
She described how Hussain would rape her 'at any opportunity' and then 'chuck me away like I was nothing.' Looking at him in the dock, she declared, 'When you met me I was just a fragile, vulnerable little girl who you could easily abuse. Today I'm a woman, and my only goal is justice. Today I got justice. I'm happy to take you down at last.'
Multiple Attacks and Investigation
The court heard disturbing details of Hussain's crimes:
- He first met the 13-year-old victim when she was being verbally abused by another man on a Rotherham street. Hussain offered to help her, but instead began sexually abusing her.
- On another occasion, Hussain stopped his car next to the girl on the street, she got in, and he drove her to an industrial estate where he pulled her from the car and raped her.
- He raped her a second time in his car after driving her to a field.
- In 2008, Hussain raped another woman in her 20s who was staying at a friend's home. She awoke to find a stranger in her room who then raped her.
The older victim was able to remember details about her attacker's appearance and car, which helped police identify Hussain. In her victim impact statement, she said, 'I cannot ever forgive this monster for what he's done to me. I will hate him to the day I die. He has completely ruined my life.'
Operation Stovewood Conviction
Hussain became the 50th person convicted under Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's largest-ever sexual abuse investigation. The operation examined child sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
Police contacted the younger victim after identifying her as a potential victim through their investigation. She reported being raped by a man she knew as 'Riaz,' whose real name was Riyasth Hussain. Officers were able to positively identify Hussain as the perpetrator.
He was arrested by Operation Stovewood officers in 2019 and was found guilty of raping both victims on Tuesday before his sentencing on Thursday.
Sentencing and Judicial Remarks
Judge Sarah Wright sentenced Hussain to eight years for raping the woman in her 20s, to run concurrently with consecutive eight- and twelve-year sentences for raping the younger victim, resulting in a total of 20 years imprisonment.
In her sentencing remarks, Judge Wright paid tribute to the women's courage, noting that for many years they had 'no voice' but had 'shown incalculable courage' in ensuring their voices were now heard.
The judge told Hussain that the younger victim had been 'passed on from one man to another' to the extent that 'she believed this sort of behaviour was normal and you exploited that.' She concluded, 'Their lives are ruined forever. The harm you have caused cannot and never will be repaired.'
Official Statements and Support Services
NCA Senior Investigating Officer Alan Hastings stated that the survivors had 'described with humbling eloquence and dignity the great suffering that they have experienced every day since Riyasth Hussain raped them.' He added, 'Despite the profoundly traumatic impact of Hussain's crimes, both women remained determined to support the investigation.'
Hastings emphasized, 'I want all victims of child sexual abuse to know that, when they are ready, there are support services and specially trained officers ready and waiting to help them.'
Liz Fell of the Crown Prosecution Service noted that Hussain had 'preyed on two extremely vulnerable victims' and had 'exploited them for his own sexual gratification.' She revealed that the younger victim 'was living in the care system and had been groomed and sexually exploited by many other men when Hussain targeted her.'
The case highlights the ongoing work of Operation Stovewood in bringing perpetrators of historical sexual abuse to justice while providing support for survivors who have carried their trauma for decades.
