Survivors Say Justice System Failed Them After Serial Rapist Fled Abroad Before Sentencing

Three women who endured sexual abuse at the hands of a serial rapist have spoken of their deep sense of betrayal after learning their attacker was able to leave the country while awaiting trial. Amar Ilyas, 41, was convicted of 20 sexual offences involving five girls in Sheffield, but he was not present in court to hear his sentence. Instead, he had travelled to Pakistan months earlier and has not returned, prompting his victims to question how the legal system allowed such an outcome.

Ilyas was sentenced in his absence to a minimum of 27 years behind bars, a punishment that reflects the severity of his crimes. Yet for the women he abused, the sentence has brought little comfort. One victim told the BBC she had always believed that once a person was charged with such serious offences, their passport would be automatically confiscated. She described herself as "so disappointed in the law" and said the reality had left her feeling let down by the very institutions meant to protect her.

The case has raised troubling questions about how bail conditions are set and enforced in England and Wales. According to information presented in court, Ilyas was arrested in 2020 and formally charged in 2023 as part of Operation Stovewood, a major National Crime Agency investigation into historical sexual abuse in South Yorkshire. Sheffield Crown Court heard that his offences took place between 2004 and 2007 and involved girls as young as 12 in the Meersbrook and Sharrow areas of the city.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, Ilyas was granted court bail prior to his trial. The BBC understands that he was permitted to keep his passport after appearing in court, and that he had previously travelled abroad while on bail, though on those occasions he returned to the UK. That changed in July 2025, when he flew to Pakistan. He failed to come back for his trial in September of that year, even though the judge had explicitly ordered him to return.

One of the women, who was 13 when Ilyas abused her, said she felt "cheated" by the situation. She explained that her own life had been severely restricted because of the trauma she suffered, making it difficult for her to leave her home. Knowing that her abuser was able to simply board a plane and leave the country has compounded her sense of injustice. "There is no justice is there really?" she said, adding that Ilyas had taken no accountability and faced no consequences for his actions.

She also expressed anger at the suggestion that his human rights had been taken into consideration when decisions about his passport were made. According to her account, she and other victims were told that he was allowed to retain his travel documents because of his rights. She pointed out that he had shown no humanity or empathy towards the girls he abused, describing the situation as a "really big insult" to those he had harmed.

A second woman, who also spoke to the BBC, said she had learning difficulties and was in an extremely vulnerable and dark place when Ilyas abused her as a teenager. She questioned why a man who had committed such offences against young girls was permitted to keep his passport. "That's my question. Where is the justice?" she asked. Despite everything, she said she clings to the hope that he will one day be found, acknowledging that it might take months or even years, but insisting that hope is all she has.

A third survivor, who was raped by Ilyas when she was a teenager, said she held little optimism that he would ever return to the UK to serve his sentence. She noted that she had been told extradition from Pakistan is very difficult. In her view, blame rests not only with Ilyas but also with the legal system that allowed him to abscond. "Shame on him but shame on the law too, they allowed that to happen," she said.

All three women have the right to lifelong anonymity, and they chose to speak out in the hope that their experiences will drive change. They are calling for reforms to prevent sex offenders from evading justice during court proceedings. One suggested that passports should be removed as a matter of course in such cases. She warned that if survivors see cases like this, they may be discouraged from coming forward in the future, which would undermine efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.

The government has responded by stating that decisions about bail restrictions are a matter for the independent judiciary. The National Crime Agency, meanwhile, has said it is "making every effort" to ensure Ilyas is brought before the court. Phillip Marshall, who heads Operation Stovewood for the NCA, described Ilyas as having tormented and brutally abused vulnerable girls and women two decades ago, and said he had callously compounded their suffering by failing to return for his trial or sentencing.

Marshall emphasised that the investigation had been meticulous and that, despite the passage of time, the complexity of the case and Ilyas's absence, the crimes were heard, believed and proven in court. He added that the agency is just as determined to ensure Ilyas serves his prison sentence. The judge who sentenced the three brothers in June, Peter Hampton, described Ilyas as having "taken the coward's route and fled" and urged law enforcement to use "all means" to execute the outstanding arrest warrant.

It is understood that when Ilyas's defence team applied for bail, the prosecution had the opportunity to contest it, but no request was made for his passport to be forfeited. This detail has added to the sense of frustration among the victims, who believe the system failed to take basic precautions. The case also highlights broader concerns about how bail is managed in serious sexual offence cases, particularly when defendants have links to countries with which the UK has limited extradition arrangements.

Lucy Duckworth from the Survivors Trust described the case as "absolutely appalling" and said it demonstrated the need for specialist courts and better training for staff across the criminal justice system when responding to sexual violence. She argued that it makes no sense to treat a defendant as such a significant risk to society while simultaneously granting bail and allowing them the freedom to potentially reoffend or evade justice. Her comments underscore a growing demand for systemic reform.

Two of Ilyas's younger brothers are also in prison for sexual offences against one victim. Kamar Ilyas, 40, was jailed for 10 years, while Kamran Ilyas, 39, received a three-year sentence. Their convictions came in June, adding another layer to a family history of sexual abuse that has left lasting scars on the victims and the wider community. For the women who survived Amar Ilyas's attacks, the wait for him to face the full weight of his sentence continues, and their calls for change grow louder with each passing day.