Banaras Hussain, jailed for 19 years in 2016, is now free (Image: Handout)
A rapist and drug dealer who preyed on children as young as 11 has been freed – after serving less than half of his 19-year-jail sentence.
And the case has prompted sharp criticism from among others including former Cabinet minister , who has written to the Parole Board urging them to keep “monster” Banaras Hussain behind bars.
Hussain, a key figure in a , was sentenced to 19 years in prison in February 2016 for multiple offences, including rape, indecent assault, and actual bodily harm.
The 44-year-old, along with brothers Arshid and Basharat, systematically in the Yorkshire town over many years.
The victims, some aged 11, were subjected to horrific acts of violence and coercion, with the perpetrators using intimidation to silence them, reported ITV at the time.
:
Banaras Hussain is a grooming gang rapist whose victims were as young as 11.He’s now being released having served less than half of his 19-year sentence.I’ve written to the Parole Board, urging them to reverse their decision.This monster must be kept behind bars.
— Robert Jenrick (@RobertJenrick)
However, Hussain has now been handed his freedom, having been moved to an open prison last year on appeal. Because he had already served time on remand before sentencing, he will have served a total of nine years.
One of his licence conditions is believed to bar him from entering the Rotherham area.
Nevertheless, former immigration minister Mr Jenrick, beaten to the Tory leadership by Kemi Badenoch earlier this year, was unimpressed.
Posting on X, he shared a picture of Hussain, commenting: “Banaras Hussain is a grooming gang rapist whose victims were as young as 11.
“He’s now being released having served less than half of his 19-year sentence.”
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Mr Jenrick added: “I’ve written to the Parole Board, urging them to reverse their decision.
“This monster must be kept behind bars.”
Speaking to the , , Reform UK’s deputy leader, asked: “What is the point of giving someone 19 years and letting them out after nine and a half?”
Sheffield Crown Court heard harrowing accounts of abuse, including how the victims were targeted, manipulated, and repeatedly exploited.
Judge Sarah Wright, who presided over the case, described the harm inflicted by the gang as being of “unimaginable proportions”.
She commended the immense courage of the victims who came forward to ensure justice was served. The gang was accused of creating a culture of fear, with victims feeling the men “ruled Rotherham” and exploited their perceived untouchability.
Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice (Image: Getty)
Arshid Hussain, the gang’s ringleader, received a 35-year sentence, while Basharat was jailed for 25 years. Other accomplices, including their uncle Qurban Ali and two women involved in facilitating the abuse, were also handed prison terms.
Reacting to the sentencing at the time, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner Dr Alan Billings said: “These sentences reflect the seriousness of the crimes committed and demonstrate that justice has been served on those who have committed these truly horrendous crimes.
“All of us in South Yorkshire owe a debt of gratitude to these young women who have been instrumental in bringing this case to a conclusion.
“They have relived their harrowing experiences in a public court of law and they have remained strong in the face of intensive interrogation.
“Justice was denied to them when they were being groomed and abused and the authorities did not listen.”
Express.co.uk has contacted the Parole Board for comment.