One of the former imams who made his victims believe that he had supernatural powers has been convicted of 21 sexual offences including nine counts of rape. According to the Metropolitan Police, Abdul Halim Khan exploited and abused women and girls between 2004 and 2015 using his reputation as a reputable religious figure by living in Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green. He was found guilty of several counts of rape, sexual assault, and assault on children under 13 years old in Snaresbrook Crown Court after a trial that revealed decades of manipulation and coercion.
Who Is Abdul Halim Khan?
The prosecutors claimed that Khan convinced his victims to meet him in isolated places like flats and underground secluded spots where he would perpetrate his sexual assaults. According to the Crown Prosecution Service, he said he was possessed by, or posed as, a jinn a supernatural spirit to inflict terror and compliance. According to the victims, they were informed that they are expected to keep the abuse confidential or risk being harmed by means of black magic which isolated them and terrified them to talk. His offenses were first revealed in 2018, when the youngest victim reported the abuse to a teacher, leading the police to investigate the matter and later arrest and officially accuse him in March 2023.
Abdul Halim Khan: Ex–East London Imam Guilty Of Sexually Exploiting Children Using Claims Of ‘Spiritual And Supernatural Authority’
One of the survivors explained how the years of shame, fear and confusion brought about by the abuse were permanent after the decision and it had greatly influenced her capacity to trust other people. Detective Sergeant Sara Yems commended the bravery of the seven women who came forward and said they testified to get justice. CPS prosecutor Melissa Garner indicated that Khan had used his role of authority to perpetrate an atrocious cycle of rapes and sexual abuses, getting the victims to believe that his alleged powers could shield them and their families. Khan is scheduled to receive a sentence next month and the authorities are optimistic that the case will be won.
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