July 2009 Child molester who fled to Italy is jailed DETECTIVES said last night that they will continue to work tirelessly to bring suspects to justice after a child molester who fled to Italy was jailed for 15 years. Aliyow Sharif-Diyad left the North-East after his two teenage victims had the courage to report him, but he was caught by Interpol when he tried to claim asylum. Officers from Cleveland Police’s child abuse investigation unit travelled to Milan to bring him back to the UK, and he went on trial at Teesside Crown Court last week. After a week-long trial during which the girls were forced to relive their ordeals, he was found guilty of five rapes and one charge of actual bodily harm assault. Last night, detectives praised the bravery of the victims, and warned other fugitives that they will travel the world to ensure people are punished for their crimes. The officer in the case, Detective Constable Jane Laird, said: “They have faced him and they have been dignified throughout. They wanted justice and, fortunately, they got it.” Sharif-Diyad was living in the Stockton area when the offences came to light in 2007 when one of the girls told a health professional, who then reported it to the police. After he was arrested, 43- year-old Sharif-Diyad was given bail and told to report at Stockton police station, but disappeared and his name was passed to Interpol. Yesterday, after being convicted, Sharif-Diyad was jailed by judge, Recorder Martin Bethel, and ordered to sign on the sex offenders’register for life. “Despite fleeing, we will still pursue people no matter where for committing these sorts of offences,” said Det Con Laird, who said the girls were “absolutely delighted” with the sentence “It certainly reflects the gravity of the offending,” she added. “The girls knew nothing about the court system. It was completely alien to them. “However, with full support, they gave their evidence and managed to secure convictions. They knew they were right. They knew what he’d done. They knew he’d done wrong and they were prepared to see this through to the end. “He was saying that the girls had made it up and that they’d colluded with one another. The jury didn’t fall for that. “We’ve worked hard to pursue Sharif-Diyad and bring him to justice, and that’s now paid off.” Detective Inspector Jason Dickson described the crimes as “despicable”, adding: “Sharif-Diyad did all that he could to avoid today’s outcome. Detective Constable Laird has worked tirelessly to ensure that he received the punishment he rightly deserved.”