A 15-year-old girl who was groomed into having sex by her abuser, was married off to the same person in an Islamic marriage. One of the social workers allegedly even attended the wedding ceremony, reports dailymail.
The wedding took place even though the underage teenager was not a Muslim and the social worker meant to protect her did not prevent her marriage. What is even more shocking is that the girl was allowed to stay with the parents of her ‘husband’ tasked with fostering them and in whose care she became pregnant.
The name of the victim was withheld and was referred to as ‘Anna’ in the report. She was “left in a state of ‘domestic slavery”, and too scared to leave the controlling relationship as she feared getting killed under the guise of honour killing, she told the report’s authors.
An independent report has concluded that some youngsters in Bradford still remain unprotected’ from sexual exploitation.
Those who prepared the report have described it as making “difficult and, at times, distressing reading” two years after nine men of Pakistani heritage were jailed for more than 57 years over the sexual exploitation of girls who had been in Bradford Council’s care.
The victim who is now married to one of her abusers had disclosed details of sexual abuse, including rapes to a confidential support service for girls involved in prostitution, but nothing was passed on to police or social workers. Later the underage girl had converted to Islam and married her older Asian ‘boyfriend’ in a Sharia law ceremony.
The report said also states that there appears to be collusion between the abuser and social worker who allegedly attended the ceremony and assessed that her marriage was likely to reduce the risks incurred.
In her interview, Anna said that “At 14 years old I was engaged to be married, taking on the role of an Islamic wife fulfilling the needs of my husband and the extended family somewhat like a maid”.
‘We had no similarities in race, religion or culture and I continued to be subject to domestic violence and was subject to a coercive, controlling sexual relationship with a known perpetrator. I was frightened to leave, in fear of an honour-based killing.”, she was quoted saying.
The report concluded, “It is hard to understand how this decision can have been made and it resulted in Anna being entirely reliant on her abuser and his family,”.
It is clear that the state failed in its duty and instead of protecting her from harm, they left her at greater risk and made her entirely dependent on them (her abusers) and that led to ‘domestic slavery’ and sexual abuse by dozens of adult males, the report adds.
Here is Anna’s full testimony:
Numerous social services assessments were carried out throughout my very early years from the authorities with a “being at risk’’ noted but nothing ever acted on, and I was failed for more than two decades. My needs as a child were not met my education was nonexistent throughout my teenage years. From around 12 years old it was apparent to social services I was absconding from home and was being trafficked all over west Yorkshire. I was at great harm however they allowed me to continually be subject to sexual, physical, and emotional abuse and psychological abuse and harm. Safeguarding risk assessments were carried out and acknowledged that I was being sexually abused by grooming on a large scale.
Recommendations were put forward at various strategy meetings to remove myself as I was at escalated risk from sexual perpetrators and to be place into a secure unit or foster carers away from the area, but recommendations were ignored time and time again. I was regularly missing for numerous weeks at a time with no sightings, and no contact from myself. Social services and the police did nothing to locate me this could have ended in a homicide case as I was suffering from severe domestic violence. I was codependent from being 13 I was psychologically suffering throughout my teenage years, but no intervention was offered. I was a minor, unstable as well as unable, as any child is to make the correct choices which were life changing decisions these have had a major impact on my life.
I was 15, but the authorities thought it was in the best interest and to minimise the severity of my absconding and placed me in a foster care placement while being fully aware with the parents of my abuser. We had no similarities in race, religion or culture and I continued be subject to domestic violence and was subject to a coercive controlling sexual relationship with a known perpetrator. I was frightened to leave, in fear of an honour-based killing.
At 14 years old I was engaged to be married, taking on the role of an Islamic wife fulfilling the needs of my husband and the extended family somewhat like a maid. I was identified as a vulnerable and naïve child converting to Islam wasn’t a case of wanting to embrace Islam for my own individual choices. I was manipulated and controlled while I was on a local authority care order the authorities should have protected me however they allowed abuse to occur for numerous years. Resulting in living a life of dual identity despite only being 15. The local authorities allowed and witnessed a sharia law Nikah wedding to take place allowing a man to carry out sexual activity on a child to occur on a daily basis which is illegal.
If only the authorities had done what was recommend for me, the secure unit or accommodation. I wouldn’t have been subject to sexually and physical abuse for many years. And because I wasn’t looked after as a child should have been under a local authority care order. Contact arrangements with parents was minimal bonds were damaged with close family which can now never be rectified.
I’m left with my adult years to educate and work on my mental health state of mind and coming to terms with the realisation I will always be in recovery. I’m not in control of my anxiety and only feel at ease with my nerves, when I’m in another county living a life that nobody knows who I am or what I’ve been subject too. Throughout my late adult years, I’ve had a significant number of disturbing dysfunctional relationships as I’ve not healed as a victim of child sexual exploitation and physical abuse. I’ve found courage and been courageous in coming forward and I sincerely hope other victims will speak out about their child sexual abuse.
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