British court convicts Lord Nazir Ahmed of child sex offences

Ahmed resigned from the House of Lords in Nov 2020 after a conduct committee report concluded he had exploited a woman

Former British parliament member, Nazir Ahmed, has been found guilty of sexual offences against two children in the 1970s by a British court, the BBC reported on Wednesday.

According to the British news service, the charges were levelled against the 64-year-old when he was a teenager living in Rotherham, Yorkshire.

Ahmed, who appeared before the Sheffield Crown Court during the proceedings denied the charges.

“By these verdicts, the jury has clearly decided that no matter the delay between the offences and the trial, and the defences raised, they could be sure that the accounts of the victims were credible and true,” said Head of the Crown Prosecution Service's (CPS) Special Crime Division Rosemary Ainslie.

"One of these defendants held a position of power, influence and responsibility for some time in the House of Lords but this case clearly illustrates that where there is sufficient evidence, even in challenging cases, the CPS will bring a prosecution, put evidence before a jury and see rightful convictions," Ainslie added.

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Prosecutor Tom Little prayed to the court that the former member of the House of Lords tried to rape a girl when he was 16 or 17. He also attacked a boy in the same period who was under 11 years of age at the time.

“Lord Ahmed claimed the allegations were a 'malicious fiction' but a phone recording of a 2016 conversation between the two victims showed they were not made-up or concocted,” the prosecutor further argued.

The BBC reported that the woman's call was prompted by an email from the male survivor who said, "I have evidence against that paedophile."

Ahmed had resigned from the House of Lords in November 2020 after a conduct committee report concluded he had sexually and emotionally exploited a vulnerable woman who sought his help.

Brother of former parliamentarian Mohammed Farouq, 71, and Mohammed Tariq, 65, faced charges of indecent assault against the same boy abused by Ahmed.

The BBC further mentioned that though the men did not face a criminal trial, they did commit the alleged acts after hearing evidence in the case.

Judge Justice Lavender directed Ahmed to appear before the court on February 4 for sentencing.