A survivor of child sexual abuse has spoken of the devastating impact years of exploitation had on her life after four men were jailed for offences committed against her over a six-year period.
In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman described how she was “used, abused and discarded” by the men, telling the court that the trauma inflicted on her as a vulnerable teenager continues to haunt her decades later.
The sentences, handed down at Leeds Crown Court, mark the conclusion of a long journey towards justice for the survivor, whose abuse took place between 1994 and 2000.
Three men were sentenced on Thursday 4 June following a trial and earlier guilty pleas. Zahid Hussain, 48, of Dewsbury, was jailed for 10 years and six months for six counts of indecent assault. Mohammed Chhibda, 49, also from Dewsbury, was sentenced to 11 years for two counts of indecent assault. Basharat Wali, 46, of Dewsbury, received a 12-month prison sentence for two counts of indecent assault.
The sentencing follows the conviction of a fourth man, Jagtar Sahota, 65, of Leeds, who was jailed in April for 21 years after being found guilty of 11 counts of rape, 11 counts of indecent assault and one count of actual bodily harm against the same victim.
The court heard that the men targeted the survivor when she was young and vulnerable, subjecting her to repeated abuse during her teenage years.
Speaking through a statement read to the court, the survivor laid bare the lifelong impact of the offences.
“I was so young, so vulnerable, and they knew exactly what they were doing,” she said.
“They didn’t care that I was a child. They didn’t care that I didn’t understand. They used me, abused me and then discarded me.”
Describing the emotional scars left behind, she added: “They took pieces of my soul, pieces of my body, pieces of me that I will never get back. They made sure I would never be the same again.”
She told the court the abuse continues to affect her everyday life, with ordinary situations capable of triggering painful memories decades after the offences took place.
“The worst part was the abuse didn’t stop when it ended. It never ends.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Stevens of Kirklees Police praised the survivor’s courage in coming forward and supporting the investigation.
“Her victim personal statement makes plain the devastating impact these offences had, leaving her with psychological trauma which haunts her to this day,” he said.
“We hope seeing them held accountable can bring her some measure of comfort.”
Julia McSorley, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, said the men had deliberately targeted a vulnerable child for their own sexual gratification.
She described the convictions as an important measure of accountability and thanked the survivor for her “exceptional courage” in helping bring those responsible to justice.
The case serves as a stark reminder that sexual abuse leaves lifelong scars, but also that justice can still be achieved, no matter how many years have passed.
For one woman, the sentences cannot erase the past. But after carrying the burden of abuse for decades, they represent long-overdue accountability for the men who changed her life forever.
