- Abdul Halim Khan, an imam, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years for raping and sexually assaulting seven women and girls, some as young as 12.
- Khan, 54, an Indian national from east London, exploited his respected position as a faith leader within the Muslim community to commit 21 offences between 2005 and 2014.
- He lured victims to isolated locations, claiming to be possessed by or disguised as a jinn, a supernatural spirit, and coerced them into silence by threatening “black magic” against their families.
- Judge Leslie Cuthbert condemned Khan's actions as an “unrestrained campaign of rape and abuse” and the work of a “serial rapist and child abuser”, highlighting the devastation caused and the ongoing danger he poses.
- Victims described Khan as “evil personified” and a danger to society, with one stating he “stole the autonomy I should have had over my own body” and left her “terrified, confused and powerless”.
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