Two men sentenced for kidnapping and sexually assaulting an 11-year-old in Birmingham

In Birmingham Crown Court, Hamza Sharif and Sadak Ali were convicted of kidnapping and sexually abusing an 11-year-old who had left home in the early hours. Sharif, who lived on St Margaret’s Road in Ward End, encountered the girl near an east-Birmingham railway station and convinced her to accompany him to his home, where she declined an offer of cocaine. Ali, residing on Foxton Road in Alum Rock, then asked the girl invasive sexual questions and assaulted her, leading to charges of unlawful control and assault on a child under 13.

The court heard the victim’s statement describing lasting trauma, nightmares and distrust of adults. Sentencing saw Sharif receive five years’ imprisonment and Ali seven years, served concurrently, with Ali also added to the lifetime sex-offenders register and both men subject to restraining orders. The judge acknowledged the defendants’ personal hardships but emphasized the severity of their crimes.