Child rape accused to face trial at end of 2026

Three men charged with rape and other offences following an investigation into the abuse of two girls will not go on trial until the end of 2026, a judge has said.

Basharat Dad, 40, Nasser Dad, 44, and Reza Tavakoli, 54, were arrested as part of Operation Stovewood, which is investigating child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The alleged offences against two girls, aged between 13 and 16, took place between March 2004 and December 2009.

Judge Sarah Wright fixed a provisional trial date for 30 November 2026 at Sheffield Crown Court on Monday, after hearing no earlier slot was available.

She said she would make inquiries to see if the trial could be brought forward, despite the current backlog of cases.

Basharat Dad, formerly of Rotherham, is charged with 13 counts of rape, four counts of trafficking within the UK for sexual exploitation, and one offence of false imprisonment.

Nasser Dad, also formerly of Rotherham, is charged with two counts of rape.

Tavakoli, of Upperthorpe, Sheffield, is charged with one count of rape and one of false imprisonment.

He was bailed by Judge Wright when he appeared in court on Monday morning.

Basharat Dad and Nasser Dad are both in custody.

All three men were due to enter pleas at the hearing, but this did not happen due to issues producing the pair from prison.

Operation Stovewood was set up after it was discovered that at least 1,400 girls were abused by gangs of men in the town between 1997 and 2013.

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