Women Demand Passport Reform After Serial Rapist Flees UK During Bail

Three women who were sexually abused by a serial rapist have spoken of their feelings of betrayal after learning their attacker was able to leave the country while awaiting trial. Amar Ilyas, 41, fled to Pakistan in July 2025 and failed to return for his trial, which proceeded in his absence. He was subsequently convicted of 20 sexual offences against five girls and sentenced to a minimum of 27 years in prison.

The case has raised serious questions about how bail conditions are applied in cases involving serious sexual offences, with the victims arguing that authorities should have confiscated Ilyas's passport long before he had the opportunity to leave the United Kingdom. One of the women told the BBC she had simply assumed that his travel documents would be automatically surrendered once he was charged, describing herself as deeply disappointed in the legal system.

A woman who was abused by Ilyas when she was just 13 years old said she felt cheated by the outcome. She explained that while she had been too frightened to leave her own home, her abuser had been free to board a plane and depart the country entirely. She questioned where the justice was in a situation where he faced no consequences for his actions and had taken no accountability for what he had done.

The same victim described a profound sense of insult upon learning that Ilyas had reportedly been permitted to keep his passport because of his human rights. She pointed out that he had shown no humanity or empathy towards the girls he abused, and argued that it was deeply unfair for his rights and feelings to be prioritised when he had caused such lasting harm to others.

A second woman, who also spoke to the BBC, said she had learning difficulties and was in a very vulnerable and dark place when Ilyas abused her as a teenager. She posed a direct question about why a man who had committed such offences against young girls had been allowed to retain his travel documents. She said she continues to hold onto hope that he will be found and brought to justice, acknowledging that it could be tomorrow or it could be next year.

A third woman, who was raped by Ilyas when she was a teenager, said she holds little hope that he will ever return to the UK to serve his sentence. She noted that he is believed to be in Pakistan, and said she had been informed that extradition processes with the country are extremely difficult. Her words reflected both anger at the perpetrator and frustration with the legal system that allowed him to leave.

She expressed her feelings bluntly, saying there was shame on Ilyas but also shame on the law for allowing the situation to happen. All three women have the right to lifelong anonymity, but they chose to speak publicly because they want to see changes that would prevent sex offenders from absconding during court proceedings in the future. One of them called for passports to be routinely removed as a condition of bail.

The women also voiced concern that cases like theirs could discourage other survivors from coming forward. One explained that we live in a world where these crimes continue to happen, and that survivors who hear about a perpetrator evading justice might decide it is not worth reporting their own experiences to the authorities.

Sheffield Crown Court heard that Ilyas carried out his offences against girls as young as 12 in the Meersbrook and Sharrow areas of Sheffield between 2004 and 2007. He was arrested in 2020 and charged in 2023 as part of Operation Stovewood, the National Crime Agency's extensive investigation into historical sexual abuse in South Yorkshire.

The BBC understands that Ilyas was allowed to keep his passport after appearing in court, and that he had previously travelled abroad while on court bail but had returned to the UK on those occasions. However, in July 2025 he travelled to Pakistan and did not return for his trial in September, despite being ordered by a judge to fly back to Britain.

Judge Peter Hampton, who sentenced the three brothers involved in the case in June, described Ilyas as having taken the coward's route by fleeing. In his sentencing remarks, the judge urged law enforcement agencies to use all available means to locate Ilyas and execute the outstanding arrest warrant. It is understood that when Ilyas's defence team applied for bail, which the prosecution had the opportunity to contest, no request was made for his passport to be forfeited.

The government responded to questions about the case by stating that decisions on bail restrictions are a matter for the independent judiciary. The National Crime Agency said it was making every effort to ensure Ilyas is brought before the court. Phillip Marshall, head of Operation Stovewood for the NCA, said Ilyas had tormented and brutally abused vulnerable young girls and women 20 years ago, and had callously compounded their suffering by failing to return for his trial or sentencing.

Marshall added that the investigation had ensured that despite the passage of time, the complexity of the case, and Ilyas's absence, his crimes against the women were heard, believed, and proven in court. He stated that the agency was just as determined to ensure Ilyas serves his prison sentence.

Lucy Duckworth from the Survivors Trust described the case as absolutely appalling and said it demonstrated the need for specialist courts and better training in sexual violence response for staff working within the criminal justice system. She argued that it made no sense to treat this crime in such a way, noting the contradiction of authorities acknowledging an offender poses a significant risk to society while still granting bail and allowing the freedom to potentially reoffend or evade justice.

The case has also highlighted the fact that Ilyas's younger brothers are both currently in prison for sexual offences against one victim. Kamar Ilyas, 40, was jailed for 10 years, while Kamran Ilyas, 39, was sentenced to three years. Their imprisonment stands in stark contrast to their brother's continued absence from the UK, where he remains wanted by authorities.

The victims' calls for reform centre on the belief that passport confiscation should be a standard condition for anyone charged with serious sexual offences. They argue that allowing individuals facing such grave allegations to retain their travel documents creates an obvious risk of flight that should be anticipated and prevented by the courts. Their campaign reflects a broader concern about how the justice system balances the rights of the accused with the safety of victims and the public interest in ensuring trials proceed as scheduled.