LONDON (UNITED KINGDOM)
WION (World Is One News) [New Delhi, India]
May 15, 2026
By Subhadra Srivastava
Story highlights
Police said Khan used his position of religious authority within the local Muslim community to target victims, persuading them to meet in isolated locations including flats and concealed space.
Abdul Halim Khan, 54, a former imam from Bethnal Green, has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 20 years after conviction for 21 sexual offences against seven women and girls. The offences between 2004 and 2015 included nine rape, four sexual assault, two sexual assault of a child under 13, five rape of a child under 13, and one assault by penetration.
Police said Khan used his position of religious authority within the local Muslim community to target victims, persuading them to meet in isolated locations including flats and concealed spaces. He was found guilty at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday. Prosecutors said he claimed supernatural powers, telling victims he was possessed by a jinn and warning them of harm through black magic if they disclosed the abuse.
Court remarks and sentencing
Judge Leslie Cuthbert said Khan showed “deliberate distortion of the Muslim faith” and “took monstrous advantage of women who trusted you”. She told him: “You brazenly raped and sexually assaulted seven females – both children and young women.” The court heard he believed victims would not report him due to shame and stigma within their community. Khan was sentenced at Snaresbrook Crown Court to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 20 years.
Cuthbert also talked about Khan specifically targeting women and girls from the Bangladeshi Muslim community because of his position of authority as an imam, and because he believed the victims would be deterred from speaking out due to shame and stigma attached to reporting sexual abuse within their community, according to the BBC.
Detective Chief Inspector Jennie Ronan, whose team led the investigation, said: “Abdul Khan presented himself as a respectable man who could be trusted. However, this was far from the truth, and he instead preyed upon and took advantage of others.
Police became aware of Abdul Halim Khan’s offending in February 2018 after the youngest victim disclosed the abuse to a school teacher. Metropolitan Police detectives later interviewed more than 50 witnesses and examined ten mobile phones while building the case. Khan denied all allegations, claiming the accusations were fabricated as part of a conspiracy for revenge.
Victims, impact and investigation
Victims, members of the Bangladeshi Muslim community, described being ‘terrified, confused and powerless’, with one stating: “To me, Khan is not a human being, he is evil personified.” Another said he ‘exploited’ her faith and vulnerability. CPS said he arranged meetings at isolated locations before raping or sexually abusing victims, who feared harm through ‘black magic’ if they spoke out.
The case emerged in 2018 when the youngest victim told a teacher. A cultural expert was used in trial to help jury understand references to jinn and spiritual beliefs. Survivors said speaking out was towards reclaiming strength, though ‘scars remain’. Police praised bravery, saying support is available for survivors of sexual violence.