A deaf and mute Pakistani girl that was trafficked into the country at the age of nine has won £100,000 in compensation after she was kept as a slave and abused both physically and mentally.
The profoundly deaf girl who cannot be named due to legal reasons came to the UK in 2000 at the age of nine and was eventually found by Police by pure luck. When raiding the Ashar’s £300,000 home in Eccles, Salford during 2009 regarding a money laundering case they found her asleep on the concrete floor in the cold, dark cellar. When she sat on a stool in the kitchen despite far more comfortable seats available, police officers on scene were starting to get an inkling into what they had found.
What made her case more unique was she was regularly beaten when the couple were dissatisfied with her performance and shockingly 85 year old Ilyas Ashar also raped her before puberty on more than one occasion. Judge Peter Lakin said: “You Ilyas Ashar and you Tallat Ashar did not treat this girl as a human being. To you she was merely an object to be used, abused and cast aside at will. You took full advantage of her extreme vulnerability.”
In July 2005 the child was given a leave to stay indefinitely and within two weeks the criminals started claiming housing tax, council tax and income support on her behalf. The grandparents who have assets worth £1 million are believed to have had a bank account opened in her name with over £200,000 stored as well as keeping £40,000 in benefits that were given to the victim.
Judge Peter Lakin ordered the Ashar’s who appeared at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester to pay back the money they owed as well as the £100,000 compensation and almost £322,000 in court costs. The girl revealed her helplessness and how her happiness was drastically turned into a nightmare from being gifted bracelets and clothes to being beaten and forced to work non-stop. “I just cleaned. I was weak because I was working so hard. I had to clean all the time and that was it – that was my life. I would cook and clean and watch the time for hours and hours. The lady got angry because I was making too much noise, but because I couldn’t hear, I wouldn’t know I was making noise.
Ilyas Ashar was given a 13 year sentence which was increased to 15 years for 13 counts of rape, human trafficking and benefit fraud as well his wife, Tallat Ashar who was initially given five years which increased to six for two counts of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation and four counts of furnishing false information to obtain a benefit
Salford divisional commander Chief Superintendent Mary Doyle revealed that this case gives all victims of trafficking in the UK renewed hope of justice, “I believe today’s outcome also gives hope to any victim of trafficking. It reminds us that there are people out there willing to bring people to this country purely to be exploited but, with the correct use of the law, the perpetrators can be brought fully to justice.”
“If anyone suspects an adult or child in Salford is being abused they can contact Adult Safeguarding on 0161 9096517 or Greater Manchester Police on 101. More information on safeguarding adults is available at www.salford.gov.uk.adultabuse.htm.”
