HAFIZ RAHMAN FLED FROM DUDLEY AND NETHERTON TO BANGLADESH AFTER SEX ABUSE CONVICTION
| Red Rose Database
Dudley Netherton Child Sexual Abuser
In a disturbing case that has shocked the local communities of Dudley and Netherton, Hafiz Rahman, a religious leader and imam, has been sentenced in his absence to eleven and a half years in prison for heinous sexual offenses committed against two young girls. The crimes took place at the Queens Cross Mosque in Dudley during the 1980s, where Rahman was entrusted with the spiritual education of children.
Rahman, aged 58 at the time of his sentencing, had previously been a respected figure within the Muslim community, often described as being 'treated like royalty' by his followers. His role involved guiding young children in religious studies, but behind this facade, he engaged in repeated sexual assaults on two victims who were under the age of 10. These assaults left deep psychological scars on the victims, who have since spoken out about the trauma they endured.
According to the court proceedings, Judge Nicholas Cartwright emphasized the severity of Rahman’s betrayal of trust. He stated that Rahman, a father of seven with ten grandchildren, had subjected the young girls to deliberate and repeated abuse over several years. The judge condemned Rahman’s actions as a gross breach of the trust placed in him as an educator and spiritual guide. The court heard that Rahman’s offending was planned, and the impact on the victims had been devastating, complicating their lives significantly.
Prior to his disappearance, Rahman resided on Ballard Road in Netherton. During his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Rahman claimed he was too ill to attend the court proceedings while the jury deliberated. However, it was revealed that he had booked a flight to Bangladesh and left the UK just hours after the jury found him guilty on five counts of indecent assault.
Prosecutor Peter Arnold highlighted that Rahman’s standing in the community and his time spent abroad made authorities confident he would return for sentencing. Efforts are now underway to extradite him back to the UK. Rahman had surrendered his UK passport and used a second passport to travel, which he obtained through his solicitors as part of his bail conditions.
During the trial, Rahman had been allowed to return to Bangladesh for personal reasons, but the court made it clear that he would be required to register as a sex offender for life. His defense lawyer, Tariq Shakoor, argued that there were no suspicions of Rahman fleeing before the case was concluded. He also noted that the victims sought closure and that Rahman had contributed positively to the Muslim community over the years, stating, 'He has played a positive part in the lives of many other people.'
Despite these claims, the judge condemned Rahman’s actions, stating that he had deceived the parents of the children and the many individuals who had written character references on his behalf. The court observed that Rahman showed no remorse for his crimes and had no intention of returning to the UK. One of the victims expressed relief at the sentencing, saying, 'I am delighted with the term of imprisonment. I can now restart my life. It has been a terrible ordeal, and I hope one day he will be arrested and brought back so he can serve his sentence.'
Earlier, in October 2016, Rahman was convicted of abusing two young girls at the Dudley mosque during the 1980s. He was on bail at the time, awaiting sentencing, when he absconded to Bangladesh. The court had found him guilty of five out of seven counts of indecent assault, with the victims aged between 6 and 10 at the time of the abuse. Rahman’s pattern of offending involved almost daily contact with the victims during the years 1984 to 1987, while he was conducting Koran classes at Queens Cross Mosque.
One of the victims, now aged 40, came forward in 2012, leading to police investigations and Rahman’s subsequent arrest in 2014. Despite denying the allegations, he was convicted after a week-long trial. The court initially deemed him not a flight risk and released him on bail, but he later fled the country after the verdict. Authorities confirmed that Rahman boarded a flight to Bangladesh on the Saturday following his conviction, effectively disappearing before sentencing could take place.
Police reports indicated that Rahman’s departure was unauthorized, and no arrest warrant had been issued at the time of his flight. An ‘all ports warning’ was issued to alert officers if he attempted to leave the country, but he managed to evade justice. The authorities continue to pursue efforts to bring him back to the UK to face the consequences of his actions, which have left a lasting impact on his victims and the community at large.
Rahman, aged 58 at the time of his sentencing, had previously been a respected figure within the Muslim community, often described as being 'treated like royalty' by his followers. His role involved guiding young children in religious studies, but behind this facade, he engaged in repeated sexual assaults on two victims who were under the age of 10. These assaults left deep psychological scars on the victims, who have since spoken out about the trauma they endured.
According to the court proceedings, Judge Nicholas Cartwright emphasized the severity of Rahman’s betrayal of trust. He stated that Rahman, a father of seven with ten grandchildren, had subjected the young girls to deliberate and repeated abuse over several years. The judge condemned Rahman’s actions as a gross breach of the trust placed in him as an educator and spiritual guide. The court heard that Rahman’s offending was planned, and the impact on the victims had been devastating, complicating their lives significantly.
Prior to his disappearance, Rahman resided on Ballard Road in Netherton. During his trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court, Rahman claimed he was too ill to attend the court proceedings while the jury deliberated. However, it was revealed that he had booked a flight to Bangladesh and left the UK just hours after the jury found him guilty on five counts of indecent assault.
Prosecutor Peter Arnold highlighted that Rahman’s standing in the community and his time spent abroad made authorities confident he would return for sentencing. Efforts are now underway to extradite him back to the UK. Rahman had surrendered his UK passport and used a second passport to travel, which he obtained through his solicitors as part of his bail conditions.
During the trial, Rahman had been allowed to return to Bangladesh for personal reasons, but the court made it clear that he would be required to register as a sex offender for life. His defense lawyer, Tariq Shakoor, argued that there were no suspicions of Rahman fleeing before the case was concluded. He also noted that the victims sought closure and that Rahman had contributed positively to the Muslim community over the years, stating, 'He has played a positive part in the lives of many other people.'
Despite these claims, the judge condemned Rahman’s actions, stating that he had deceived the parents of the children and the many individuals who had written character references on his behalf. The court observed that Rahman showed no remorse for his crimes and had no intention of returning to the UK. One of the victims expressed relief at the sentencing, saying, 'I am delighted with the term of imprisonment. I can now restart my life. It has been a terrible ordeal, and I hope one day he will be arrested and brought back so he can serve his sentence.'
Earlier, in October 2016, Rahman was convicted of abusing two young girls at the Dudley mosque during the 1980s. He was on bail at the time, awaiting sentencing, when he absconded to Bangladesh. The court had found him guilty of five out of seven counts of indecent assault, with the victims aged between 6 and 10 at the time of the abuse. Rahman’s pattern of offending involved almost daily contact with the victims during the years 1984 to 1987, while he was conducting Koran classes at Queens Cross Mosque.
One of the victims, now aged 40, came forward in 2012, leading to police investigations and Rahman’s subsequent arrest in 2014. Despite denying the allegations, he was convicted after a week-long trial. The court initially deemed him not a flight risk and released him on bail, but he later fled the country after the verdict. Authorities confirmed that Rahman boarded a flight to Bangladesh on the Saturday following his conviction, effectively disappearing before sentencing could take place.
Police reports indicated that Rahman’s departure was unauthorized, and no arrest warrant had been issued at the time of his flight. An ‘all ports warning’ was issued to alert officers if he attempted to leave the country, but he managed to evade justice. The authorities continue to pursue efforts to bring him back to the UK to face the consequences of his actions, which have left a lasting impact on his victims and the community at large.