A 54-year-old former imam from the London community has been sentenced to life in prison for violence against believers.
According to Oxu.Az, this was reported by the TV channel "NDTV World". The publication states that the suspect deliberately selected girls from circles where he was respected and trusted.
He met victims in secret places or at their homes. During the "ritual", he pretended to be possessed by a jinn or spirit and then assaulted them. Victims believed that if anyone found out about the violence, they would be harmed through black magic.
A total of 21 people were affected, with the youngest girl being 12 years old. Law enforcement only learned of the crimes in 2018 after one girl reported the abuse to a teacher. The imam himself claimed that the victims had fabricated their stories out of revenge.
The man was sentenced to life imprisonment and can only apply for early release after 20 years.
