We were not allowed to mention Basharat Khaliq either, despite the fact that he was being prosecuted for abusing a third child and is now serving a 28-year sentence.
People often think that a conviction brings closure for victims, but it doesn't. The abuse may end, and the trial may be over, but what follows is a lifetime of dealing with the consequences. The trauma is constantly reopened by new revelations, court cases, media coverage, and reminders of what happened.
Now I am facing the release of five of my abusers over the next 12 months after they have served only half of their sentences. Alongside that comes the likelihood of more situations like this involving Fahim—more reminders, more conversations, and more trauma to confront again and again.
Victims effectively serve a life sentence. Yet the people who repeatedly abuse, exploit, and destroy lives are often released after only a few years. If sentences truly reflected the severity and repeated nature of these crimes, fewer victims would be forced to relive their trauma while their abusers are given the opportunity to harm others.
When we released
@fionagoddarduk’s transcript & podcast with Julie Bindel, we had to be very careful to not name Fahim Iqbal. He was just sentenced for chasing a man down and cutting his leg off in the street with a machete. These insane rules need change
bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c14y…