The Judge passed the sentence after hearing statements from the abuser’s two victims about the lasting impact Ahmed’s actions had on them over the last forty years. Ahmed, formerly of East Bawtry Road, appeared after being convicted of a series of sex offences dating back to the late 1960s and mid-1970s. The 64-year-old was found guilty of two counts of attempted rape and one count of indecent assault by a unanimous jury on Wednesday 5 January. Police initially received reports of the offences in 2016, when the now-adult victims came forward and disclosed abuse they had suffered when they were children, aged between four and 11 years old. Ahmed attempted to rape his first victim, who was a young girl at the time of the abuse, twice at an address in Rotherham. At the same address, he also indecently assaulted his second victim, a boy. In his statement, Ahmed’s victim described the former peer’s perverse actions as having a damaging effect on his relationship with his own children. He also called out the fact that he has never shown remorse nor regret for his actions. Reading her statement out in court, Ahmed’s first victim described his conviction as a victory for all sexual abuse victims. After suffering years of turmoil, and feeling like she was being suffocated, she is now ready to pass that burden to her abuser. Both survivors praised South Yorkshire Police investigator DC Joanne Smithson, with one adding: “I would like to offer my sincere and heartfelt gratitude to South Yorkshire Police for fulfilling their motto: ‘Justice with Courage’ through the actions of the investigating officer, DC Joanne Smithson. “You never gave up on us and you continued to seek justice for us.”
