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A child rapist who fled the country to evade capture has been jailed for 24 years - thanks to the efforts of officers and staff working in the dedicated Child Abuse Investigation Unit (CAIU).
For more than four years, officers have worked tirelessly to ensure Altaf Khalifa was brought to justice for the sexual abuse he inflicted upon two young girls.
Sadly, two months after disclosing to a medical professional the details of what she had endured, one of the girls took her own life.
Today (Thursday 25 July), as Khalifa was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court for a total of 11 crimes, those working on the case paid tribute to the bravery of both girls for having the courage to speak out.
Investigating officer Vanessa Murva said: “The circumstances surrounding this case are extremely sad and while I am pleased the defendant is now behind bars, it is deeply tragic that one of the girls is not here to see her abuser jailed for the immeasurable pain and suffering he caused.
“It was her courage to speak out that first alerted us to the horrendous crimes being committed by Khalifa. Without the bravery of both girls, he may have continued to offend, and other girls may have become his victims.”
It was while on bail in July 2021 that Khalifa went on the run - leading police on an international manhunt for more than two years. In September 2023, after found living in Malaga, Spain, he was extradited back to the UK.
The 42-year-old, of no fixed address, stood trial earlier this year and was found guilty of 11 offences – eight of which were sexual offences against the two girls.
These crimes, many of which occurred at an address in the Beaumont Leys area, happened between January 2016 and August 2019 when the girls were aged eight to 10 and 13 to 15.
The police investigation into Khalifa’s offending began in November 2019 when the horrific abuse the girls had endured began to come to light.
He was swiftly arrested but denied any offences had occurred and was released under investigation.
Officers worked to establish the full circumstances and began to piece together vital evidence. Work was also underway to gain access to the defendant’s mobile phones after he refused to tell police any of his passwords or pin numbers.
Sadly, at the start of 2020, one of the victims took her own life. Court restrictions remain in place to protect the identity of both girls.
Following the teenager’s tragic death, officers remained committed to the case and in July 2021 Khalifa was brought back into custody after digital forensics experts were able to use specialist software to defeat the encryption on his devices.
An examination of his phone revealed indecent images of children and extreme pornography.
He was placed on bail while police finalised the investigation and sought to secure charges in consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
It was at this time that Khalifa left the country before being tracked down in September last year.
At trial he was found guilty of the following offences:
As well as being sentenced to a total of 24 years in prison, Khalifa will also be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register for life.
Detective Sergeant Kate Beel added: “All investigations involving the abuse of children are extremely challenging and upsetting but this case has been particularly difficult following the devastating news that one of the victims had taken her own life.
“Both girls showed immense bravery in coming forward and despite the extremely difficult situation the living victim and the families have remained engaged and supportive of the investigation.
“For more than two years Khalifa tried to avoid being held accountable for the horrendous crimes he committed.
“Throughout that time detectives working on the case, in particular the officer in the case – PIO Vanessa Murva - remained committed to tracking him down and have provided ongoing information and support to those involved. The prosecution team on the case, in particular Nicole Hepburn, have also been instrumental in building the case against Khalifa, which resulted in him being found guilty of all charges following a trial.
“I am pleased the defendant is now behind bars and can cause no further trauma or distress.”