Ipswich – Former religious teacher jailed for sexual offences

A 71-year-old former Islamic teacher in Ipswich, who was convicted of numerous non-recent sexual assaults, has been jailed.

Hafez Ashraf Uddin, of Wivenhoe Road, Barking in London, appeared at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday 21 November, where he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. He has also been ordered to sign the Sex Offenders’ Register for life and been made subject of an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Uddin was found guilty of 13 counts of indecent assault at Ipswich Crown Court on Thursday 5 June, following a trial lasting almost four weeks.

The offences relate to six separate victims – who were all girls aged between seven and 14-years-old – and occurred between 1985 and 1999.

Uddin had stood accused of 22 counts of indecent assault in total, relating to seven girls, being found guilty of 13 offences and not guilty of the other nine. 

The offences included Uddin putting his hand inside one of the victim’s trousers, and multiple offences of either touching or squeezing the girls’ breasts.

Four of the charges he has been convicted of were multiple offending counts – which means in those cases a single charge actually comprised at least five assaults, so the total of separate assaults numbered is at least 29.

Detective Inspector Donna Hopper, of the South Safeguarding Investigation Unit, said: “Hafez Ashraf Uddin abused the respected position of trust that he held in the community and subjected these young girls to shocking assaults – some of them on multiple occasions.

“These assaults have had long-lasting impacts on the victims, who did not feel able or confident to report them at the time for a number of reasons.

“I want to pay tribute to them for their bravery in coming forward and reporting his offences, even though they had occurred many years previously.

“I hope this case demonstrates that despite the passage of time, it is never too late to achieve justice. We want victims to know that they will be heard and that will we investigate wherever it is possible for us to do so.

“No doubt Uddin thought he had got away with his appalling crimes, but he hadn’t counted on the resilience of the victims to speak out and ensure he was made to answer for his actions. He will now spend a significant amount of the remaining years of his life in prison.”

Suffolk Police recognises the impact that this case will have on the community that Uddin served and officers have been liaising with partners to ensure anyone with concerns can access advice and specialist support.

Any further reports can be made to the South Safeguarding Investigation Unit via 101, quoting Operation Picton and reference: 37/CJ/667/18.

Alternatively you can make a report via the Suffolk Police website: Report rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Suffolk Constabulary

Support for victims is available via the following organisations:

•         The Ferns Independent Sexual Violence Advisor Service: The Ferns Centre

•         Survivors in Transition: SiT Overview | Survivors In Transition

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