Five mostly Muslim men from Rotherham, including three brothers, have been found guilty of subjecting two young girls to two years of violent sexual abuse, including rape and false imprisonment.

Matloob Hussain, Mohammed Sadiq, and brothers Basharat, Nasser, and Tayab Dad, were convicted of 21 historic sex offences at Sheffield Crown Court and are due to be sentenced on the 2nd of February.

Their offences date back to the late 1990s and early 2000s when the girls were given alcohol and cannabis and intimidated into performing sex acts.

Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Martin Tate, who oversaw the inquiry, said in a statement: “The court heard harrowing evidence from two very brave women whose childhoods were robbed by these men.

“They were targeted, systematically groomed and subjected to horrific sexual abuse while they were young vulnerable girls, on the cusp of their teenage years.

“No child should ever have to experience what these women have had to endure and I hope that today’s result offers them both some resolution after so many years of anguish.

“On behalf of the investigative team and the partnership agencies who have worked alongside us, I offer my thanks to those women for their support and courage over the last two years.

“I also extend our thanks and recognition to the victims’ families and the witnesses who have played their own vital roles in bringing this case before the court and obtaining these convictions.

“I want to thank the team of officers and police staff, Rotherham Council, the Crown Prosecution Service, GROW and other voluntary sector agencies who have all worked tirelessly supporting our victims, gathering evidence and preparing this prosecution case.

“As ever, we will not rest on our laurels and this case is yet a further example of our commitment to tackling child sexual exploitation and bringing these criminals before the courts.”

In 2014, the government’s Jay report found that more than 1,200 girls from Rotherham had been raped, trafficked, and abused by mostly Muslim gangs. The abuse was allowed to go on for around ten years because authorities were scared of accusations of racism, the report found.

Eight men of Muslim, Pakistani origin were sentenced for the crimes in November 2016. A further six men and two white women had been found guilty in October.