Three men convicted for raping young girls in Plymouth

Three men have been found guilty of raping four young girls in Plymouth in 2017.

The Crown Prosecution Service prosecuted Anthony Anantharajah, 34, Abalzaq Salih, 30, and Saif Kahya, 32, following an investigation by Devon and Cornwall Police.

The three defendants were convicted of rape offences committed between February 2017 and December 2017.

The police investigation and prosecution review began after the victims came forward and disclosed that there had been a number of house parties, where the young girls were lured to and exploited through money, drink and drugs.

All of the rapes took place at the homes of the defendants. The victims were aged between 14 and 16 at the time. 

Claire Brinton, Specialist Prosecutor for the CPS, said: “These three men exploited four young girls through drugs, alcohol and money. Their victims were groomed and subjected to rape. 

“These defendants conducted a vicious and vile campaign of sexual abuse, in some instances multiple times against these victims, which must have caused life changing harm and trauma.

“We would like to extend a special thanks to the victims who came forward to report these crimes and gave evidence to a court about their horrific experiences.

“These convictions send a very clear message that the CPS, working alongside law enforcement colleagues, will relentlessly pursue justice for victims and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, whenever that abuse took place.

“I encourage any victims of child sexual abuse and sexual violence to report the crimes committed against them. It is never too late to seek justice - you are not alone and there is help available.”

To deal with some of the more complex and challenging child sexual abuse cases like this, the CPS has established a dedicated Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit to share specialist understanding, build strong cases and increase the amount of successful prosecutions.