UK Court Hands Down Nearly 40-Year Sentence to Ivorian and Zimbabwean Nationals for R@ping Vulnerable Girls
ROTHERHAM, UK – A Sheffield Crown Court has sentenced two foreign nationals, Romulad Stefan Houphouet of Ivory Coast and Absolom Sigiyo of Zimbabwe, to nearly 40 years in prison for grooming and r@ping vulnerable teenage girls in Rotherham, UK.
The sentencing follows a five-week trial that exposed the horrific details of the abuse.
Houphouet (37) was jailed for 20 years, while Sigiyo, (41) received an 18-and-a-half-year sentence.The judge emphasized that the men had inflicted “severe psychological harm” on their victims.
According to the prosecution, the girls were s3xually assaulted several times a week over a period of six months, with the perpetrators referring to them as “fresh meat”.
The court heard that the defendants, along with other associates, befriended the girls at a children’s home and gained their trust by providing them with alcohol and cigarettes at house parties.
The prosecution described how the girls were conditioned to have regular s3xual intercourse with the same male, with the clear intention of ensuring their compliance.
In a statement, Senior Investigating Officer Kath Blain described the case as one of the most harrowing she had ever investigated.
