Islamic teacher who sexually abused girl, 11, as he taught her the Koran spared jail because his

wife doesn't speak English

Suleman Maknojioa, 40, squeezed girl's chest under her prayer scarf Attacks took place as he gave lessons in Ara ic to girl and her rothers !ather of si" convicted of five counts of se"ual activity #ith a child $e #as handed a suspended sentence after judge told family rely on him By !I"# $!I" %E&'%(E% &ublished) 1* $arch +,1!. Islamic teacher who repeatedly molested a terrified girl of 11 as he taught her the Koran has escaped a jail sentence because his wife's English is so bad/

0pared prison) Islamic teacher 0uleman $aknojioa sexually abused a young girl as he taught her the Koran

1-

0uleman $aknojioa, -,, repeatedly rubbed the youngster's leg and reached under the folds of her prayer headscarf to touch her chest/ 2e was gi3en a suspended sentence because the court heard the father of six's family were so dependent on him and he is ill with kidney problems/ $aknojioa was supposed to be gi3ing the girl and her two brothers pri3ate tuition/ 2e was said to ha3e fa3oured the girl and claimed the touching was done to reassure her/ But his confused 3ictim became terrified whene3er lessons were due/ 2e was finally reported to police after the children's mother o3erheard her two sons, aged 14 and se3en, talking about the incidents/ $aknojioa was a respected hafi5 6 a scholar of the Koran/ 'n the day he was arrested he was due to teach 4, children at a mos7ue near his home in Blackburn/ 2e was later con3icted of fi3e counts of sexual acti3ity but on $onday he escaped with a -,6week prison sentence suspended for two years/ ! family friend condemned the sentence/ '(his is a total disgrace,' said the friend, who asked not to be named/ '8hat type of message does this send out to paedophiles9 2e should be behind bars for this type of abuse/ 8e are all horrified/ ' &reston :rown :ourt was told $aknojioa had been engaged by the children's parents

in +,1+ to teach them about the Islamic faith up to three times a week at their home in "ancashire/ In 0eptember that year the girl and her two brothers started tuition of the Koran in !rabic in their li3ing room/

(eacher) $aknojioa rubbed the 116year6old's leg and reached underneath the folds of her prayer headscarf to s7uee5e her chest whilst gi3ing her and her two brothers pri3ate tuition in !rabic (he court heard she was better at her lessons than her brothers, who were often told

off/ $aknojioa began touching the girl's arms and head, then mo3ed to her legs, feet and chest and her thigh/ (he girl claimed that the touching typically occurred as she prayed or read from the Koran while kneeling or sitting cross6legged/ 0he told the jury) 'I was too afraid to say something/ 2e would put his hand under my headscarf on my chest and he would s7uee5e/ '2e would only use the one hand/ (he other hand would be writing something or he would be pointing to my brothers and telling them to pray harder/ '.o matter how hard my brothers tried to pray it wasn't good enough/ 2e would always say I was better, e3en if I wasn't/ '$y brothers asked me what he had been doing and I didn't know how to describe it/ I told them he had touched me up/ (hey told me to tell $um and ad 6 but I just didn't want to tell anyone/ 'It went on for ages, his hand going up and down/ I was afraid of what my teacher would do/ ' 2er older brother said) 'I knew what was happening for about a month before my parents/ $y sister would get 3ery upset at the idea of anyone knowing/ It was difficult for me to know what to do/ 2e fa3oured her/ 2e would gi3e her ten pages to learn and we would only get three/ '(hat way he spent most of the lesson with her/ 2e did it slyly/ 8hen it happened, she inappropriate/ ' (his went on from 0eptember +,1+ to ;une +,14 until the course of lessons ended/
:on3icted) $aknojioa was found guilty of fi3e counts of sexual acti3ity with a child

was trying to pray/ I ha3e seen him touching her thigh in a stroking motion/ It was

1-

(he girl's father later confronted $aknojioa at his home but he denied all the charges/ <rida 2ussain, defending, said) '2e is married with six children/ 2is wife doesn't work and speaks 3ery little English, they are dependent on him to lead their li3es and with the running of the household/ ''ne of the children has learning difficulties/ Because he doesn't teach now he is reliant on benefits/ ' ;udge $ichael Byrne told $aknojioa) '(he parents in3ited you into the sanctity of their own home/ (hey trusted you and left you with their children/ 'I ha3e read a letter from the girl in which she sets out her initial confusion at conduct of this sort from one /// who she and her brother were expected to trust/ '(he older brother felt he wasn't able to protect his sister/ 0he was of a tender age, young, 3ulnerable and impressionable/ '(here could be no greater recognition of trust than between a minister of religion and pupils whose care is entrusted to him by parents/ '#ou breached that trust deliberately and repeatedly/' $aknojioa will be under super3ision for two years and made the subject of a 0exual 'ffences &re3ention 'rder for ten years/

Posted by Thavam