Former Islamic teacher, 71, jailed for sex offences against children | UK | News
A 71-year-old former Islamic teacher in Ipswich who was found guilty of multiple non-recent sexual assaults has been jailed. Hafiz Ashraf Uddin, of Wivenhoe Road, Barking, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday, November 21, where he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for life and made subject to an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order. Uddin was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday, June 5, following a trial that lasted almost four weeks. The offenses occurred between 1985 and 1999 and involved six separate victims, all girls aged between seven and 14.
Uddin was charged with a total of 22 counts of indecent assault in relation to seven girls, found guilty of 13 offenses and not guilty of the other nine.
The crimes included multiple counts of Uddin putting his hand inside one of the victim’s pants and touching or squeezing the girls’ breasts.
Four of the charges on which he was convicted were multiple felonies; This means that a single charge in these cases actually covers at least five assaults, meaning the individual assaults add up to at least 29.
Detective Inspector Donna Hopper, of the Southern Safeguard Investigation Unit, said: “Hafiz Ashraf Uddin abused his respected position of trust in the community and subjected these young girls to shocking attacks, some on multiple occasions.
“These attacks had long-lasting impacts on victims who, for a variety of reasons, were unable or unwilling to report themselves at the time.
“I would like to express my gratitude to them for their courage in coming forward and reporting their crimes, even though they occurred many years ago.
“I hope this case shows that although time has passed, it is never too late to seek justice. We want victims to know that their voices will be heard and that we will investigate wherever possible.”
“There is no doubt that Uddin thought he had gotten away with the terrible crimes he committed, but he did not trust his determination to make the victims heard and to ensure that he would be held accountable for his actions. He will now spend a significant part of the remaining years of his life in prison.”
