A man who raped a schoolgirl more than 20 years ago has been jailed after a forensic breakthrough linked him to the crime.

Abdul Qayum, who was 31 at the time, plied the 14-year-old with alcohol and drugs and raped her at his flat, then in Jacob Street, Bradford, in June 2004.

Qayum, of Folkestone Street, Bradford, had denied the offence but was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years imprisonment at Bradford Crown Court on Friday.

In a statement read to the court, the victim said: "No amount of time you serve will ever be enough for suffering I have endured, but I can say I am glad and relieved that I have finally got the justice I deserve."

Qayum, now 53, was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

The court heard he approached the victim while a passenger in a car driven by his friend and, after trying to persuade her to come with them, ordered her to get in.

The girl was then given cannabis and driven to Qayum's flat, where she was given alcohol and was raped by Qayum.

He then tried to prevent her from leaving but she managed to call the police and escape from the flat.

In a victim impact statement read to the court, she said: "I was a 14 year old child, and you had no right to take me away from me living a normal happy life, but you did.

"It has taken 22 years to get justice whilst you lived a normal life. I feel as though I am the one who has been serving a sentence from the damage you caused.

"What you did will never leave me, but I can finally move on after some closure and start to heal the best I can after it has consumed me for so long."

According to West Yorkshire Police, Qayum had been arrested and interviewed back in 2004 but evidence available at the time was not sufficient to progress to a charge.

Qayum had been arrested alongside his friend, who was later eliminated from the investigation.

However, the case was among a number of others being reviewed by Operation Recall, a team within West Yorkshire Police's Major Investigation Team and male DNA found on swabs taken from the victim were a match to Qayum.

He was subsequently re-arrested in June 2023 and charged with rape in July 2024.

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HM Courts & Tribunals Service