Mosque Teacher jailed for Sexually Abusing Children

Hafiz Fazal, aged 66, of Oldham, has been jailed for 23 years after he sexually abused three children while he was a teacher at a mosque.

He went on trial accused of 17 counts of abuse from the 1990s when he was a mosque teacher.

Fazal was found guilty of 14 of the offences.

He was convicted of six counts of indecent assault against the first, seven charges of rape against the second and one single count of indecent assault against the third.

Fazal was found not guilty of three rape charges against the second victim, all of which alleged he had carried out the act on no fewer than 10 occasions between various time periods.

It was revealed that Fazal’s campaign of abuse against the first two victims was when they were seven years old.

At Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court, prosecutor Christopher Tehrani QC read statements from the three victims.

The first victim said:

“My innocence was stolen from me and the freedom of a carefree childhood.”

The victim went on to say that he was hospitalised with Covid-19 and when he feared he was going to die he said:

“I identified my regrets in life. One of the most personal was believing I had died and I had not had my day in court and not exposed the defendant for the wretched creature he is.”

The victim has since struggled to form relationships, suffered PTSD and had attempted to take his own life twice.

The second victim said: “I was given a life sentence of pain and anguish.

“He is a wholly disgusting man who has ruined my life, he is a danger to society.”

Nick Flanagan, defending, said Fazal was in poor health and was likely to die whilst serving his prison sentence.

He said: “There is no evidence or even suggestion that there has been any further offending of this kind since August of 1996.”

Judge Mark Ford QC said: “The bravery of the three complainants in speaking to the police and giving evidence before the court is to be commended.

“It is not easy to disclose memories of this sort.”

He said that Fazal showed no remorse given that he had pleaded not guilty.

Fazal was jailed for 23 years. He was also placed on the sex offenders’ register for life and banned from working with children.

Judge Ford added: “I have taken into account so far as I can your age and relatively ill health, but I cannot overlook the gravity of your offending, the persistence of the abuse or the devastating impact of your conduct against your victims.”