Former Labour peer Nazir Ahmed jailed for child sex offences in the 1970s

Former Labour peer Nazir Ahmed has been jailed for five years and six months after sexually abusing two children.

Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, as he is still known, was convicted on 5 January of a serious sexual assault against a boy and the attempted rape of a young girl in the 1970s.

Mr Justice Lavender today told Ahmed his actions had "profound and lifelong effects on the girl and the boy, who have lived with what you did to them for between 46 and 53 years."

He added: "Their statements express more eloquently than I ever could how your actions have affected their lives in so many different and damaging ways."

His female victim read a statement out in court.

She said: "An overwhelming feeling of shame remained with me throughout my childhood and early adult years.

"It was a burden I was made to carry, and it silenced me for many years.

"It is now time for me to pass that burden to him – the paedophile who I know feels no personal shame."

Sheffield Crown Court was told Ahmed attempted to rape the girl when he was aged 16 or 17 but she was much younger.

The attack on the boy, who was aged under 11 at the time, also happened during the same period.

The former Labour member resigned from the House of Lords in November 2020 after reading the contents of a conduct committee report which found he sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman who sought his help.

The report made him the first peer to be recommended for expulsion but he resigned before this could be implemented.

Read more: Former politician Lord Nazir Ahmed found guilty of rape attempt in the 1970s

Ahmed was charged along with his two older brothers, Mohammed Farouq, 71, and Mohammed Tariq, 65, but both these men were deemed unfit to stand trial.

Farouq and Tariq faced charges of indecent assault in relation to the same boy that Ahmed abused and, also on Wednesday, the jury found that they did the acts alleged.

His conviction sparked calls for his title to be removed.

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Despite resigning from the Lords, only an Act of Parliament with Royal Assent can strip him of his title.

One of his victims, known as Mr B to protect his identity, said since the abuse started when he was young and he has since spent his life "trying to bury it".

He added: "You try to lead a normal life, but you can never lead a normal life."

Mr B is among those demanded Ahmed's title be removed.

I'm demanding the government take that peerage away from him," he said.

"He's a convicted paedophile and there's no justice in that."

More to follow..