Abdul Halim Khan, an imam from east London, has been jailed for life after he raped and sexually assaulted seven women and girls, some as young as 12, while exploiting their belief in supernatural “jinn” possession.
Abdul Halim Khan, an Indian national, exploited his respected position as a faith leader to abuse seven women and girls within the Muslim community over a nine-year period, between 2005 and 2014, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard.
According to BBC, Khan, 54, received a life sentence with a minimum term of 20 years at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Thursday. He committed 21 offences between 2004 and 2015, the Metropolitan Police said.
He held a position as a respected faith leader in the local Muslim community in Tower Hamlets. He used that status to gain trust before abusing victims in isolated locations, including flats and hidden spaces.
Khan told victims he was possessed by a “jinn”, a supernatural spirit, and claimed he needed to “cleanse” them. He also threatened that “black magic” would harm them or their families if they spoke out.
In one case, he told a girl she had ovarian cancer and that only he could cure her. He later took her in a car to a secluded place and raped her, claiming she was “cured”, reports The Telegraph.
Judge Leslie Cuthbert condemned Khan’s conduct as an “unrestrained campaign of rape and abuse” and described him as a “serial rapist and child abuser”. He said Khan systematically abused his position for sexual gratification.
Khan targeted seven victims from the Bangladeshi Muslim community in east London, where he preached after arriving from India in the early 1990s. He was appointed to a mosque in 1996.
The court heard he would lure victims to meetings under the guise of faith healing and personal guidance. He also gave some victims mobile phones to contact them and instructed one girl to leave her home to meet him.
Prosecutors said Khan denied the allegations and claimed the victims had fabricated a conspiracy against him. However, phone records and investigation evidence contradicted his claims.
A Metropolitan Police spokesperson said to The Telegraph, “Khan’s abuse came to light in 2018 when the youngest victim reported him to a school teacher, triggering a wider investigation that led more victims to come forward.”
“The case exposed how Khan exploited belief in “jinns”, mentioned in the Koran as invisible spiritual beings, which some communities associate with possession, illness and misfortune” the spokesperson added.
In Tower Hamlets, mental health services and faith-based “ruqyah” clinics often deal with patients reporting such beliefs, including claims of possession and spiritual harm.
Professor Aisha Gill of the University of Bristol, who gave evidence in the trial, said Khan weaponised religious trust and fear, calling it an “abuse of faith, not an expression of it”.
She said he falsely claimed possession and used threats of supernatural punishment to silence victims.
The court heard emotional victim impact statements describing long-term trauma. One survivor said Khan “stole the autonomy I should have had over my own body” and left her “terrified, confused and powerless”.
Another victim described him as “evil personified” and said he exploited trust, faith, and family pressure to keep her silent for years.
The judge said Khan believed his status would protect him from exposure, and that victims would fear shame and not report him.
He added that Khan showed no remorse and may never be released, Skay news reported.
Despite the conviction, the court received letters from supporters who did not accept the verdict.
Officials said the case highlights concerns about safeguarding within faith communities and the risks posed by abuse of religious authority.
