Pedophile Asks for Suspended Prison Sentence: "Shame" is Punishment Enough

A Middlesbrough woman convicted of molesting a child was sentenced to seven years behind bars in 2016. Shortly after the sentence, lawyers for 43-year-old Raheelah Dar argued the woman should not face prison time because the “shame” of being a pedophile as a Muslim woman was enough punishment.

Dar was convicted of three counts of indecent assault and two counts of indecency with a child, though she denied the allegations. A court found her guilty of the crimes that occurred against a 9-year old girl for over four years.

“Shame” of Being a Pedophile is Enough

Based on the shame caused to the woman, the lawyer filed an appeal with the court requesting the suspension of the prison sentence. Along with the shame, defense counsel Alison Pryor told the court that her client suffered from mental illness, including bipolar disorder, which would have detrimental effects on her in prison.

Pryor told Teesside Crown Court: “Because of the context under which this offending took place, my client is a practicing Muslim, the shame that this has brought and will bring on her family cannot be underestimated. It is something that would not be found in a more ordinary case of this type. The effect that a sentence would have is less than the effect that the conviction had on the community.”

The Abuse

Dar abused the 9-year-old girl for a period of four years, starting after she suffered from a miscarriage and failed marriage. She was 26-years-old at the time and began grooming the 9-year-old by isolating her from friends and family members. This advanced to kissing the girl in an intimate way. She also forced the victim to kiss a boy and watch her undress. This led to talks of a sexual nature. Dar eventually molested the girl several times.

How the Abuse Impacted the Victim

Abuse traumatizes its victims. Both short and long-term ramifications of abuse include financial, psychological, and emotional impacts. Each survivor experiences different outcomes after abuse. Often, therapy and other treatment become necessary for victim recovery.

This victim experienced many ramifications of the sexual abuse carried out by Dar.

She is now an adult who says the abuse has affected he relationships with friends and family because they do not understand her or the things that she has been through. She states it affects her relationships with romantic partners because she cannot trust them and does not like for other people to touch her.

She has experienced medical problems as a result of the sexual abuse. For a period of time, the victim was fearful of visiting the doctor to tell what happened or for checkups and treatment. This caused her to suffer from several different health problems.

My Thoughts

Add 20-years to her sentence. Then, add another 10 for filing the ridiculous appeal and another 5 years for the mental illness and shame BS claims. Our justice system is an absolute joke in my opinion, far too accommodating to criminals, some of whom are seriously monsters, and unconcerned with the victim of the crime. Pedophiles should never get out of prison. I do not care if they rehabilitate themselves and “change their ways.” What about the anguish and trauma they’ve caused to a child?

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