Man jailed for raping young girl

Parvaiz Akhtar was sentenced to 14 years in prison after being found guilty of rape and sexual assault

A man who raped a girl when she was five years old has been jailed for 14 years.

Parvaiz Akhtar committed the offences 30 years ago and West Yorkshire Police officers in Calderdale launched an investigation after the victim reported his offences.

Akhtar, 61, was found guilty of two counts of rape and nine sexual assault charges after a trial at Bradford Crown Court and pleaded guilty to one count of rape and one of sexual assault at an earlier date.

He was sentenced at the same court on Tuesday and put on the sex offenders register indefinitely.

The offences began against the victim when she was young and continued until she was 15.

In a statement, she said Akhtar's grooming and sexual abuse "stole my childhood and dignity, causing decades of self-hatred and isolation that has left a devastating impact on my life including my relationships, my family and my cultural identity".

"After over 30 years of silent suffering, I've finally found my voice and I am reclaiming my life, knowing the shame belongs to him," she said.

She said she wanted any survivor of sexual abuse to know that it was never too late to speak out.

Det Con Kerry Burhouse said: "The strength it takes to speak up and report offending of this nature cannot be underestimated."

She said police would always investigate reports of historic sexual abuse.

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