Former Labour peer on trial over historical child sex abuse

A FORMER Labour peer sexually abused a young boy and girl when he was a teenager, a court was told.

Nazir Ahmed, formerly Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, went on trial at Sheffield Crown Court yesterday accused of sexual offences against children dating back more than 40 years.

A jury was told how the woman alleges that Mr Ahmed attempted to rape her in the early 1970s, when the defendant was about 16 or 17-years-old but she was much younger.

The former politician, now 64, is also accused of a serious sexual assault against a boy under 11, also in the early 1970s, and the indecent assault of the same youngster.

The jury was played a recording of a telephone call between the two complainants, made by the woman after she went to the police in 2016.

Tom Little QC, prosecuting, told the jury that the call was prompted by the man contacting the woman by email saying “I have evidence against that paedophile”. Mr Little said Mr Ahmed

‘What they did was wrong and it’s time now to seek justice for the little boy who could not protect himself ’

claims the allegations are a “malicious fiction” but this recording shows they were not “made-up or concocted”.

In the recording, the woman says to the man: “What they did to you was utterly wrong and it’s time now to seek justice for the little boy who could not protect himself.”

She says: “This is not just for me. It’s for you and for all the children Nazir Ahmed has abused. ”

The man tells the woman: “I don’t want the b-----d to get away with it.” He says: “I thought I was the only one.” The barrister said Mr Ahmed will not be claiming there is an innocent explanation for the allegations. Mr Little said: “[Mr Ahmed’s] case is that they did not occur and this is all a malicious fiction.”

Opening the prosecution case, Mr Little told the court: “This is about repeated sexual abuse that took place in Rotherham over a number of years.”

He said: “Those involved kept it buried away for many years. It is no longer buried away, they have complained.”

Mr Ahmed denies buggery of a boy under 11, two counts of attempted rape of a girl under 16 and the indecent assault of a boy under 11.