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Sabir Hussain jailed for child assaults at Keighley mosque | Sabir Hussain jailed for child assaults at Keighley mosque |
(about 2 hours later) | |
A religious teacher who was caught on camera kicking and slapping children in a West Yorkshire mosque has been jailed for 10 weeks. | A religious teacher who was caught on camera kicking and slapping children in a West Yorkshire mosque has been jailed for 10 weeks. |
Sabir Hussain, 60, admitted four charges of assaulting boys at the Markazi Jamia Mosque in Keighley as they learned the Koran. | Sabir Hussain, 60, admitted four charges of assaulting boys at the Markazi Jamia Mosque in Keighley as they learned the Koran. |
He was arrested after secret filming was shown on Channel 4's Dispatches. | He was arrested after secret filming was shown on Channel 4's Dispatches. |
Bradford magistrates heard Hussain, of Spencer Street, Keighley, assaulted boys aged between 10 and 13. | Bradford magistrates heard Hussain, of Spencer Street, Keighley, assaulted boys aged between 10 and 13. |
The court was shown clips from the TV programme, which was screened in February. | The court was shown clips from the TV programme, which was screened in February. |
In one, Hussain is seen to walk up behind a line of boys sitting at prayer tables and kick one in the back. | In one, Hussain is seen to walk up behind a line of boys sitting at prayer tables and kick one in the back. |
District judge Sue Bouch said she had read a large number of character references about Hussain, with some referring to him as "firm but fair" and a "pillar of the community". | District judge Sue Bouch said she had read a large number of character references about Hussain, with some referring to him as "firm but fair" and a "pillar of the community". |
She told him: "It can be clearly seen on the footage that the children are flinching away from you. | She told him: "It can be clearly seen on the footage that the children are flinching away from you. |
"That suggests to me, Mr Hussain, that the children were fearful. | |
She added: "You were in a position of responsibility. This is a gross breach of trust." | |
Earlier, Shufgat Khan, defending, said Hussain used to be employed by the mosque but was working as a volunteer teacher at the time of the incidents. | |
He said his client had an unblemished record until these incidents, which happened on 7 and 13 December last year. | |
'Assaults avoidable' | |
Mr Khan said: "What he did was to chastise. | |
"He's accepted the force used to chastise was not reasonable. But it's a very different case from someone's gratuitous use of force against vulnerable people." | |
West Yorkshire Police said the investigation was supported by the Markazi Jamia Mosque along with Keighley Muslim Association and Bradford Council For Mosques. | |
Officers said they questioned why the production company that made the film did not report the assaults earlier. | |
In a joint statement, Ch Supt Ian Kennedy and Kath Tunstall, of Bradford Council's Children Services Department, said: "Since these events came to light, we have been working closely with residents and partners to put in place improved safeguards to protect children in religious and faith schools. | |
"Whilst we welcome the work of the production company that brought these offences to light we do question their decision to wait until a number had been committed before they contacted us. | |
"Some of these assaults would have been avoidable if we had been informed earlier and been in a position to take positive action sooner rather than later." | |
Hussain immediately lodged an appeal against his sentence but an application for bail was rejected. | Hussain immediately lodged an appeal against his sentence but an application for bail was rejected. |
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