Birmingham mosque teachers admit beatings

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-33855346

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Two Islamic school teachers have admitted beating a child at a mosque in Birmingham.

Mohammed Siddique, 60, and his 23-year-old son Mohammed Waqar had previously denied slapping and hitting a boy with a stick at Sparkbrook's Jamia Mosque.

They changed their pleas on what was due to be the opening day of their trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The hearing was adjourned for pre-sentence reports until 7 September and the two men were released on bail.

Siddique and Waqar were charged with wilful cruelty to a child under 16. The court heard the pair had attacked a boy on four separate occasions between May and June 2014.

Matthew Brook, prosecuting, said the case had been brought to prevent the men from teaching in the future and to show the wider community that this behaviour was "unacceptable and criminal".

He told the court Siddique and Waqar were "of some standing in the community".

Judge Mark Wall QC told the two men, both of Olton Boulevard, Tyseley, that their conduct had been "serious" and the sentencing judge would have "all options open to him or her".