London: An Indian-origin former Imam, Abdul Halim Khan (54), has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the UK after being found guilty of 21 counts of rape.
The case has shaken communities across the UK.
Khan, based in East London’s Old Ford Road, was convicted of sexually abusing seven women and girls, including children as young as 12, from the local Bangladeshi Muslim community over a nine-year period between 2005 and 2014.
He systematically exploited his position as a trusted religious figure to lure vulnerable women and girls to isolated locations, including hidden flats, the prosecution established.
Khan would say that he is possessed by a djinn, a supernatural spirit
, while carrying out forced sexual acts. He convinced victims he could cleanse them of evil spirits and threatened them with black magic and harm to their families if they ever spoke out.
In one case, Khan told a young victim that only he could cure her ovarian cancer, drove her to a secluded location, and raped her, as reported by News18.
Judge Leslie Cuthbert said the imam hid behind a public image of holiness while taking monstrous advantage of women who trusted him entirely. Khan deliberately targeted Bangladeshi Muslim women and girls, banking on their fear of his religious authority and their feelings of shame to ensure their silence, the Judge noted.
“You behaved as if you were untouchable,” Judge Cuthbert told Khan in court.
One victim told the court she was just 13 years old when she was first abused. Another told the BBC simply: “To me, Khan is not a human being. He is evil personified.”
Khan used religious manipulation, threats of black magic, and claims of supernatural possession to silence every victim for years, lead prosecutor Sarah Morris K C confirmed.