Three men guilty of raping girls in Plymouth

Left to right: Anthony Anantharajah, Saif Kahya and Abalzaq Salih

Three men have been found guilty of raping girls in Plymouth.

Abalzaq Salih, 31, from Plymouth, was convicted of two counts of rape of a female aged 15 or under. Saif Kahya, 32, from Liverpool, was found guilty of one count of rape of a female aged 16 or over.

Anthony Anantharajah, 35, from London, was convicted of one count of rape of a female aged 16 or over. He was found not guilty of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with a girl aged 15 or under.

The men were remanded in custody and are due to be sentenced in September.

The men denied the charges and were convicted following a five-week trial at Plymouth Crown Court.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the abuse came to light after a girl came forward and gave key evidence to police after she watched the BBC drama Three Girls which described a high-profile investigation in Rochdale.

'Here to listen'

Plymouth Commander, Temporary Ch Supt Scott Bradley, said: "I want to start by praising the bravery of the survivors in this case.

"Without their evidence and courage we would not have been able to achieve this outcome.

"Devon and Cornwall Police is committed to tackling violence against women and girls, and targeting those who seek to prey on the vulnerable.

"The guilty verdicts are a culmination of years of hard work by a committed and professional team of officers and staff.

"Our message to other survivors of sexual abuse is that we are here to listen, to work with you, to support you, and to achieve justice."

A fourth man, 45-year-old Moussa Ahmadou, from Plymouth, was found not guilty of sexual assault on a female.