An elderly British couple was charged for the rape and trafficking of a girl they brought into England from Pakistan in 2000, The Associated Press reported.
Ilyas Ashar, who trafficked the girl to England when she was just 10 years old, was found guilty of rape last week. He was also found guilty of trafficking and benefits fraud charges at an earlier trial.
The girl, whose identify has not been released for legal reasons, was forced to live in the cellar of the Ashar home located in the Manchester area of northwest England. She was also beaten and repeatedly raped.
Judge Peter Lakin said neither Ashar or his wife, Tallat, showed remorse for their actions.
"To you she was merely an object to be used, abused and cast aside at will," he said.
"There was throughout a distasteful undercurrent of violence and intimidation. All that she had in her life was the love of her family and her own human dignity - you two took that away from her, you consigned her to a life of misery and degradation."
"You are deeply unpleasant, highly manipulative and dishonest people," he added.
The girl was also unable to read or write though the Ashars taught her to write her name in order to claim benefits, leading both Ashar and his wife to be convicted of benefits fraud charges, as well as trafficking.
Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Prosecutor Peter Cadwallader applauded the victim's "extraordinary resilience" for testifying in court.
Following a police raid in 2009, authorities realized she could not communicate and arranged specialized support in order for her to participate in court proceedings.
Using an interpreter while testifying, the girl said she was hit with a rolling pin while forced to work for no pay, forced to sleep on a concrete floor in a bolted cellar, and sexually abused.
