Operation Stovewood: Men convicted of sexually abusing two young girls in Rotherham

Three men who committed child sex abuse offences against two young girls in Rotherham more than a decade ago have been convicted. 

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted Romauld Houphouet, 37, Absolom Sigiyo, 41, and Jacek Brzozowski, 35, following an investigation by the National Crime Agency (NCA) as part of Operation Stovewood.

Operation Stovewood is a major investigation into child sexual abuse and exploitation which took place in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, between 1997 and 2013.

Houphouet, Sigiyo, and Brzozowski, have been convicted of child sex abuse offences committed between 2011 and 2012.

The two victims in this case were aged just 15 when the offending began and were residents of a local authority children’s home in Rotherham during the offending period.  

They were both befriended by the defendants who gained the victims’ trust and confidence by plying them with alcohol and gifting them cigarettes. Both victims were then repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse at the hands of the defendants. 

In 2019, after an investigation into the abuse had begun, Sigiyo approached one of the victims while she was in Rotherham town centre and intimidated her, attempting to persuade her to withdraw her police complaint against him. 

When presented with the large amount of evidence compiled by the prosecution, the jury found the defendants guilty.

Martin McRobb, Specialist Prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said: “These defendants preyed on vulnerable young girls who they knew they could groom with alcohol and gifts with the sole aim of repeatedly sexually exploiting them. 

“The victims in this case are now adults but they have had to live with the trauma caused by the vile and serious sexual offences committed against them in their youth.

“We know it can be difficult to talk about such abuse, and I would like to extend my thanks to the victims for the courage and fortitude they showed in coming forward and giving evidence against these men. 

“The Crown Prosecution Service will continue to work closely with law enforcement partners to support all victims of child sexual abuse as we relentlessly pursue justice on their behalf.”

Kath Blain, Senior Investigating Officer for the NCA, said: “This is one of the most harrowing cases I have investigated. Sigiyo and Houphouet lured two vulnerable girls to parties where they kept the children intoxicated so they could abuse them in the worst ways. 

“Brzozowski contributed to their suffering, including by having sex with one of the girls who he knew was a child and vulnerable.

“The victims have shown extraordinary bravery in reporting their abuse. What happened to them can never be undone, but I hope the verdicts today will at least give them a sense that their abusers have been held to account and justice has been done.

“The National Crime Agency continues to pursue justice for numerous other people who we have identified were abused as children. I really encourage anyone who was abused as a child to report it to the police.”