Small boat migrant raped teenage girl – then is sent on consent course | UK | News
A small boat migrant who raped a 14-year-old girl within three months of arriving in the UK has been freed with an order to attend consent awareness sessions rather than be sent to an institution for young offenders.
An unnamed 14-year-old Iranian boy living with a foster family attacked the girl after meeting her at the same school in Bedfordshire last September. An unaccompanied child arrived in the UK as an immigrant on a small boat last June.
He was convicted of rape and two counts of sexual assault in January. At sentencing in mid-March, the judge refused to grant custody, citing youth justice principles that make detention a last resort, and instead gave him a rehabilitation order requiring him to attend specialist sessions on “understanding consent, boundaries and victim awareness”.
He was also banned from the scene and surrounding areas for two years.
What did Bedfordshire rape victim’s family say?
A source close to the family told The Sun on Sunday that the decision had left them furious.
“The victim’s family is angry. They are angry. This sentence is a complete joke. No punishment has been given. This is absolutely not a deterrent. The rapist is still free and can do it again. The victim has to carry this for the rest of his life, he can go out as if nothing happened.”
What happened on the night of the 14-year-old Iranian attack?
The boy and his victim met at school before meeting on September 23 last year. He forced her into a row of bushes next to a skate park and forced her to the ground.
Prosecutor Cassandra Roberts said the attacker asked the girl to “do something” before pressuring her. “He was saying, ‘Let me go’ and ‘No,’ but that was ignored,” Roberts told the court.
Hours after the rape, the child wrote about the attack on social media.
What did politicians say about teen sexual assault?
The sentence sparked outrage in the Conservative Party. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said: “This vile attacker must be jailed for his crimes. Detention should be the only punishment for rapists. These attacks continue to happen under this weak Labor Government that has lost control of our borders. The only way to fix this is the Conservative Party’s Border plan; leave the ECHR so we can deport all illegal immigrants and foreign criminals.”
What did the Ministry of Internal Affairs say about the crime of underage rape?
A Home Office spokesman said: “This was a sickening crime and our thoughts are with the victim and his loved ones. Sentencing is a matter for the independent judiciary, but foreign nationals who committed these despicable crimes will be deported at the earliest opportunity.”
However, Britain does not deport criminals to Iran on the grounds that Iran is too dangerous. Unaccompanied minor asylum seekers also often have additional legal protections that prevent deportation.
