Cardiff imam sentenced to 13 years for abusing children
The imam was found guilty of 14 offences carried out over a period of 10 years. (Photo: Guardian)
(Web Desk) – An imam from a mosque in the United Kingdom has been jailed for 13 years for abusing children.
According to a report published in The Guardian, the imam, who taught at the Madina Mosque in Cardiff, has been given a sentence of 13 years for sexually abusing four young girls during Quran lessons at a mosque.
According to the report, Muhammad Haji Saddique, 81, would call his students to sit next to him and recite verses from the Quran during their lessons. He is reported to have sexually touched the girls in front of the class and also slapped students repeatedly if they made mistakes while reciting.
The court was informed that Siddique used to have metal and wooden sticks with him that he used to poke the children as they studied.
After a trial, the jury found the imam guilty of 14 offences, six counts of indecent assault and eight counts of sexual assault, that took place in a period of years during 1996 and 2006. Judge Stephen Hopkins gave Siddique a sentence of 13 years and ordered him to register himself as a sex offender.
The judge said that Siddique had no idea of the harm caused by his actions. The imam had insisted that allegations were a conspiracy by other members of the mosque. The judge further said during the trail, “All four complainants were very brave indeed in overcoming not only personal but cultural barriers which they faced in making formal complaints and giving evidence against you.”
The judge also termed Siddique’s actions as a ‘gross breach of trust’ as parents had sent their young, female children to be taught the Quran by him.
Police had launched an investigation in 2006 after they received complaints from two girls. Initially, Siddique had denied the allegations. The investigation was restarted after two more girls complained about the imam’s acts.
In impact statements given by the victims to the courts, the girls, now in their 20s, told the court how the imam’s actions had left a long-lasting effect on then. Speaking about one of the girl’s statement, Judge Hopkins said, “It has put her off religion. She deliberately doesn’t own a Qur’an. [For her] the ethos of going to the mosque at any time is that when you are there, God is protecting you. Her idea was shattered because you abused her when she was reading from the Holy Book.”
According to the report, Muhamammad Haji Siddique was born in Hong Kong, and later moved to Pakistan. He came to the United Kingdom in 1967 and settled in Cardiff. He had been involved in running the Madina Mosque and taught there for more than 30 years.
