A man who raped two primary school girls when he was 11 years old is due to be sentenced this week after being found guilty of a series of serious offences.
Fahad Ahmed, now 20, carried out the attacks in 2017. A jury at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court convicted him of two counts of rape of a child under 13 and two counts of assault by penetration following a trial.
Prosecutor Barry White told the court that Ahmed had warned the victims not to speak about what had happened. “He told his victims not to tell anyone about what he had done,” he said.
The court heard powerful victim impact statements describing the lasting psychological effects of the abuse. One of the victims said she now feels fearful around men and struggles with sleep, adding that the trauma has affected her relationships and friendships.
The second victim described a significant change in her personality and wellbeing since the offences. She told the court she had once been outgoing but now feels isolated and avoids social situations. She said she finds it difficult to speak to men and has experienced periods where she “no longer wants to be here”.
She added: “I can barely sleep at night. I no longer feel comfortable in my own skin.”
Ahmed denied the charges but was convicted by a jury. He has been remanded in custody ahead of sentencing.
In mitigation, his barrister Paul Cliff told the court that Ahmed had been extremely young at the time of the offences and had only just reached the age of criminal responsibility. He argued that the court should consider how the case might have been dealt with had it been prosecuted shortly after the offences occurred.
“He had only just become capable of obtaining criminal legal responsibility,” Mr Cliff said. “Custody is a last resort when one is dealing with the sentence of a child, although he is now 20 years of age.
“The principal aim for this court is to sentence the offender as though he was being sentenced shortly after the offending took place. Had he been dealt with in 2017 there is every likelihood that his case might have been dealt with in the youth court. There would be a realistic possibility that, had he been dealt with as an 11-year-old, a non-custodial sentence may have been imposed.”
Mr Cliff also pointed to Ahmed’s conduct in the years since the offences, telling the court he had no previous convictions and had not come to the attention of police again.
“The passage of time has enabled him to demonstrate that he is capable of avoiding further offences,” he said. “He is now 20. He has no previous offences recorded against him. He is not subject to any ongoing investigation and in the nine years since this offending he has led, we say, a blameless life.”
He added that Ahmed had been immature for his age at the time and had a limited understanding of sexual behaviour and the nature of his actions.
Judge Sally Hancox is due to sentence Ahmed on Friday.
