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A brave teenager who suffered sexual assault by Iranian asylum seeker has sat down with Patrick Christys to speak out about her story.Watch the interview in full above.A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police has told GB News: “We are aware that a number of concerns have been raised which we are taking extremely seriously and we're working at pace with partners in the criminal justice system and our Professional Standards Department (PSD) to review issues raised."“We are aware that a number of concerns have been raised which we are taking extremely seriously and we're working at pace with partners in the criminal justice system and our Professional Standards Department (PSD) to review issues raised."Victim care is our priority. We take all reports of sexual assault seriously and will always thoroughly investigate in order to bring offenders to justice."We have specially trained officers on hand to provide advice and support to victims throughout.”In relation to the perpetrator being housed near the victim, Hertfordshire Police said: “Upon his initial arrest, police charged and remanded Khalafi. He was released on court bail with conditions, following his first court appearance."During his next appearance, police raised concerns around the suitability of his bail address and made an application for bail to be revoked. He was subsequently remanded.”A Home Office spokesperson said: “Our thoughts are with this brave survivor and all survivors of sexual violence.“This government will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws, which is why we are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system, allowing us to scale up deportations. “The Home Secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times which will make Britain a less attractive destination for illegal migrants and will make it easier to remove and deport them. “All Foreign National Offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity.”
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0:00
Abby, thank you very much for letting us come round and talk to you today
0:03
No problem. I really do appreciate it. I'm just going to start by asking you to cast your mind back a few days before this attack
0:11
What was life like for you? What was a normal day for Abby
0:15
It was, as every teenage girl does, I didn't have a worry in the world whatsoever
0:21
I could leave my house without being scared of who's around the corner, what the night could await
0:28
I had no worries whatsoever because I hadn't experienced anything as terrible before so I never worried
0:37
Which it sounds silly because you should always worry but I didn't
0:41
I had no worry in the world, I'd just go out with my friends not thinking about safety or anything like that
0:48
I'd just go out and have a nice time and not think about who was there or what was lurking
0:54
Could you explain to me what happened on the day of the attack then
0:59
So let's start from the morning, you wake up, you've got plans for that day
1:04
Yeah, so at start I initially had work in the morning through to the afternoon
1:10
and then I went and met my friend and we came back here and we got ready, as you do
1:17
because we were excited to go out and this was one of the times that we got the bus from my house
1:22
to the train station and caught the train to wherever we was going. We arrived there as you
1:29
normally do, went to the first pub and then went to the second and stayed there for a while and it
1:36
was only, the whole night was fine, nothing strange happened, it was just like every other weekend
1:43
until the end of it and that's when everything went bad, yeah. So then what happened in that
1:51
evening as I believe as you were leaving the venue? So we was leaving the venue and
1:57
some might say I had a little bit too much to drink and we was all just really happy as I am
2:05
when I've had a little bit to drink and we was running around and I thought it would be a
2:09
fantastic idea to play hide and seek so I'm running around it's like a little circle so you
2:17
could just run run run as I was and all my friends are trying to find me but I
2:22
liked the chase of it I thought it was I thought it was funny and and then I
2:27
found the bush to hide in which I thought was a great hiding spot and so I hid in
2:33
there for a little bit and then I thought I heard my friend coming in and
2:39
and it was not my friend whatsoever. So then what happened? So I'm hiding for a little bit and I hear the leaves rustling
2:50
and I turn around thinking it's my friend, but I couldn't see anything
2:56
And all I heard was a Middle Eastern accent asked me if I'm OK
3:01
And that's when I knew that it was in fact not my friend and I knew that something was wrong
3:06
and I said yes I just need to get back to my friend and that's when he comes up to me and
3:13
he grabs me by my face and he just starts kissing me. I then pull away as I did not want that
3:22
whatsoever and I'm like no I just need to get back to my friends, no I just need to get back
3:27
to my friends that was all that I could say and then he starts touching my boobs
3:35
so throughout the night when I was playing hide and seek I lost my t-shirt somehow I think it was
3:41
when I was running away from my friend and so I just had like a gym gym sports top on and so he's
3:48
got his hand and he's gone under there and started touching my boobs and all I can all that will come
3:54
out is no I need to get back to my friends but he he did not say anything he didn't stop he didn't
4:01
take any notice and so that goes on and then he starts making his way down and he unbuttons my
4:09
jeans and does the zip and pulls my trousers down and I'm just I'm frozen I don't know what to do
4:18
and he picks me up from behind, by the back of my thighs
4:23
and puts me on this brick wall. And he's still touching me and still all I can say is
4:32
no, I need to get back to my friends. But he isn't saying anything
4:36
All I can hear is like heavy breathing and feel his stubble
4:39
And, you know, then he gets his hand and he starts to make his way down
4:46
So he goes on to my pubic area. and now I'm just completely frozen
4:51
And bear in mind, I can't see anything. I don't know what he looks like, anything, because it was so dark
4:58
So he goes to my pubic area, and that is just when I black out
5:02
and everything goes black and I can't remember until I hear someone shout
5:08
there's two people in the bush, one of them's undressed, and I feel like that's what woke me up
5:14
And then after that, I just hear rustling away, so it's kind of a sigh of relief that he's gone, he's not here anymore
5:22
And I look around and I can just see blue flashing lights. I'm like, it's the police
5:27
So I'm in the wall, there's like several steps, like little walls to climb up
5:33
So I'm climbing up them, but I had to pull up my trousers first. So like in the back of my mind, I'm thinking what's happened
5:40
but I'm just so, so focused on getting to them blue lights
5:44
I just feel a bit of safety after what happened. So I've climbed up and I've seen these blue lights and there's two police women standing there
5:52
and I've just ran to them and I've just collapsed onto them and I'm crying and I'm in hysterics
5:59
because I didn't understand what had just happened to me. You remember repeatedly saying no
6:08
Yeah, over and over. All I could say was no, I need to get back to my friends
6:13
No, I need to get back to my friends. Repeatedly. and as you were saying that it didn't deter him, he carried on
6:21
Yeah, it didn't deter him, he didn't stop, he didn't even say any more
6:25
The only thing he said throughout that whole interaction that I can remember is, are you okay? And then after he starts doing what he was doing
6:32
he never said anything, never responded to me when I was saying no
6:38
How has that situation made you feel? It makes you feel so vulnerable and this is my own body and my control of my own body was taken away from me
6:52
In the state that I was in, I was already vulnerable but for someone to be able to just so easily take advantage of me
7:01
it was a horrible feeling because I felt that my body wasn't my own body anymore and I wasn't in control of it anymore
7:07
Do you feel as though he was lurking like a predator waiting for someone like you in a
7:17
vulnerable state to come along? Yes so the reason I believe that is because the club
7:24
club slash pub thing that we was in shut at 2am and we was hanging around for a bit and this whole interaction started at about 20 to 3 quarter to 3am so a good 40 45 minutes after the club had shut there was not really anyone around really apart from him
7:45
So you've run into the arms of the police really, what have you said, what have they said, what's happened then
7:53
It's all a bit of a blur, the whole police interaction. I just remember just breaking down to them, crying
8:01
and they're asking me what happened. And I was telling them, but I was speaking really quickly
8:06
they couldn't really understand me, especially because I was crying as well
8:11
And my friend starts to come over, but they ask her to step away so they could talk to me
8:17
So I'm just trying to explain as best as I can what had happened
8:21
and in the end they decide to just take me to the police station
8:27
which one of my friends came with me and I got back to the police station
8:34
I had a bit of an interview with them and told them what happened
8:38
And that must have been especially difficult for you because by the sounds of things
8:44
as he has progressed with this sexual assault, you have blacked out a bit
8:51
What do you think that was that caused you to black out there? I think it was..
8:56
I like to believe that it was my own body protecting me from knowing what was happening
9:02
Because I already... with what I remember it's still a lot of trauma to try and heal from and move past
9:09
But I feel like if I remembered what else could possibly have gone on
9:14
then it would have been a lot more to have flashbacks of and to remember
9:21
Talk to me then about the impact that this has had on your life so far
9:31
It has affected every single part of my life. You know, before this all happened, I felt like I was, you know, a normal teenage girl, you know, living her life
9:43
And now I feel like I'm living with precaution. Every time I leave my house, I'm wondering who's around the corner
9:49
you know I never I never feel safe not even in my in my own home which is horrible
9:55
it's took a big toll on my mental health as well especially where I felt so out of control of my
10:03
own body I feel like I don't have any control of any aspect of my life because it can be taken
10:09
away from you so quickly and you never realise how vulnerable you are until you are put in that
10:15
certain situation so I've struggled with with a lot with my mental health
10:20
suicidal thoughts you know questioning my life like you know you you always get
10:25
the thoughts like is it worth it you know what's the point you know my my
10:29
control was taken away from me you know I feel like it's not my body anymore I
10:34
feel like I'm like away from my body like I'm not in control of it anymore
10:40
It affected my work, so I recently lost my job and I was having to take a lot of time off to try and heal and I had to have adjustments put in place because I would get triggered a lot by little things. It could be anything, just random things could trigger me at any moment
11:01
Do you mind me asking what kind of things can trigger you? So, for example, the same accent can trigger me a lot
11:09
And I remember, it was always this guilt because even people closest to me
11:15
like my little brother Cyrus, who's only 19 months, I remember getting a trigger from him
11:21
I remember I had gone to the toilet and he's come in
11:25
and he's pulling on my trousers. And that was an instant throwback because that is what he'd done
11:32
So if it's anything related to it, an accent, like a face lookalike, you know, anything that he done in that night, it will be an immediate trigger
11:43
Yeah. Do you feel safe at home now? Not fully, no. No, because, you know, I thought I felt safe there and it turned out I wasn't
11:57
It was a place that I've known for many years and have always been there and I've always felt safe there
12:03
And then instantly I'm not. So it's really made me question, where am I safe
12:07
Because now I'm in the mindset of you're not safe anywhere because you never know who is around or what could happen
12:17
Stacey, could I ask you about that day in question and that night
12:25
So, what happens for you? How do you find out about this attack
12:30
The first thing, I didn't actually know about it until the Saturday evening
12:37
I'd woke up early hours of Saturday morning, seen that Abby wasn't home, but that was not normal
12:46
but I knew she'd gone out. We'd actually had a bit of an argument the week before
12:53
because she'd gone out and was meant to come home and didn't update me that she had changed her plans
13:00
And only that day before she went out, Mum, I need to grow up a little bit, you know, I'm not a baby anymore
13:08
you need to let go, I'm alright. So when I woke up and see that she wasn't home, I instantly wanted to call her
13:15
And then I thought, you know what, no, let go a little bit, stop being so overprotective, let her have her fun
13:22
she'll be fine. Got up the next morning, checked in her room, see that she was home. She was asleep
13:30
at that point. Her friend was with her. Didn't think anything of it. We went for a family
13:37
get-together. Came home that evening and it wasn't until I come home that evening that Abby
13:45
was in a bit of a state. We could just tell that she wasn't right. She was trying to hurry out the
13:50
door. My husband questioned like where are you going? I'm just going to a friend's house
13:57
Okay, how are you getting there? And then she said, oh, the police are outside, they're
14:01
taking me. She was like, what do you mean the police are outside, they're taking you
14:05
Like, you need to explain, come back, explain. So she said, I was sexually assaulted last
14:11
night. So you can imagine the shock on, for us, was just like, what do you mean? She told
14:20
us briefly what had happened and then she left she left to go to her friends wasn't until really
14:27
the following day she come back and we said like we need to talk to you like explain to us what
14:33
what's happened she told us all what had happened so to find out that she'd been to the police
14:42
station and everything that they'd been back the day before and taken her obviously I didn't know
14:47
anything about that so I wasn't there to go with her which was really really upsetting
14:53
me and Abby are really close so initially I was quite surprised that she hadn told me and then she explained that Abby being Abby doesn want to worry anybody and was like mum
15:08
you've got enough going on I didn't want to worry you I wanted you to go out and have a good day I
15:13
didn't want to put that stress on you but for me it was really disappointing because I would have
15:19
wanted to go with her. How has the whole thing made you feel? Because you obviously want your
15:29
daughter to be able to go out with friends and do what normal teenagers do. But obviously this
15:38
has happened, hasn't it? How's that made you feel? It's been really difficult because I've always
15:44
said to Abby, you know, life's for living. Go out there, enjoy yourself, make memories. So
15:49
I've always kind of pushed her to go out and experience the world
15:55
And Abby was always such a fun-loving, so much life, literally just a fun girl
16:05
So from a mum's point of view, to now see the change in her
16:11
has probably been the hardest bit to take. Talk to me about that change
16:17
She's just not the same person. anymore. She's obviously still lovely and beautiful but her zest for life has gone. She's depressed, she's scared, she doesn't even feel safe in her own home. There's many nights where she can't sleep and she's terrified. She closes her eyes and she gets flashbacks
16:46
So there's been many nights that she's called me for me to go and sleep in her room with her
16:53
For your child not to feel safe in their own home has been really difficult
16:59
She doesn't go out as much anymore. If she does go out, she doesn't really drink
17:04
You can just see the fear in her. She was always such an innocent girl, always sees the best in everybody
17:14
I've never got a bad word to say about anyone. And now she questions everything and everyone, and everyone's intentions
17:22
She's just not the same person anymore. It's really changed her. As a mother, how has this affected you
17:35
Has this changed you as a mother, do you think, at all? Yeah
17:40
been a really painful experience. As a parent you want to protect your child
17:47
that's my job and I feel like I failed doing that. I don't feel like she's been
17:55
protected to have gone through something so traumatic and then to continue
18:03
feeling like she's been let down. And as a mum I've been powerless to that, there's
18:08
been very little that I feel like I've been able to do other than be there for
18:12
Abby I can't do anything so I literally feel powerless but it's been awful
18:20
obviously ultimately this is this happened to Abby but it's affected the
18:26
whole family not just me it's affected literally everybody it's been a really
18:32
tough time and and it's it's just to know that your child's been hurt and
18:37
violated, is painful. It's not just traumatised Abby, has it? No. No, it's been tough
18:48
And if Abby's attacker was here now, what would you say to him
19:02
Why? Why do you feel the right to do that to somebody
19:07
Why? No one deserves that. What on earth makes you think that you can come to our country
19:16
and do that to somebody? It's sick. Do you think your life will ever be the same
19:26
No. No. I think as a parent you always worry. You're always going to have that worry about
19:31
your child but it's just heightened that worry. Now I don't only have to worry about Abby being
19:38
out and other people, I have to worry about Abby herself and her own mental health. As Abby
19:46
mentioned she's had suicidal thoughts, she's had thoughts of hurting herself so it's just an
19:53
additional worry now that I have to worry about her not just the outside world. Abby has chosen
20:01
to waive that right to anonymity, you have also chosen to come forward
20:07
and speak out about this. Could you just explain why you support Abby's decision here
20:15
and why you as well feel like you want to put your name
20:19
and your face forward? I think for Abby, and I can see it as well
20:25
that this whole process, she's been kind of hidden in the background
20:29
I feel like he's had his day in court, he's had his chance to speak
20:35
Abby hasn't had any of that. Abby is literally, other than her ABE video evidence, she's not once been able to speak
20:46
And I think that was important for her to get her voice out
20:51
Abby being Abby, thinks of everybody else before herself. and I think her main message has always been that unfortunately she can't change what's happened to her
21:02
But she wants other people out there that this may have happened to, to maybe get a little bit of strength and feel a little bit of support that you can come forward
21:14
Abby's stated many times she's the victim. Why she's felt hidden all this time and she doesn't want to feel hidden anymore
21:21
and she wants that message out out there she wants she wants her story to be told even like
21:29
I say it's not going to make any difference for her but that awareness might make a difference
21:33
for somebody else and for me it's you know parents need to be aware that our kids are not safe I
21:40
never thought it would happen to my child you never think it's going to happen to yourself
21:45
but it does it does and my fear is he's doing everything I can to stop this to
21:52
happen to someone else's child. I have nothing to be ashamed about I can't change what happened to me
22:00
whatsoever but if I can just do a little bit to save someone else from going
22:06
through what I went through then I will do that and also he hasn't seen me since
22:13
I haven had my voice I haven been able to tell my story but this has given me the chance to feel that I can get my voice out there and you know he can see who he done it to who he hurt whose life he has affected You know he get out he get benefits he get housed he get everything handed to him and I get absolutely nothing
22:37
I just get a lifelong worth of trauma that I have to deal with for the rest of my life
22:42
and he doesn't have to go through any of that, which I think is so unfair
22:47
But if I can get my face and my voice out there
22:51
and tell people what has happened to me and what he has done then I will do that and hopefully
22:57
save someone else from going through what I went through. At what point do you find out that this man is an Iranian asylum seeker
23:09
I found out from news articles. Yeah. Could you talk me through that? How did that happen
23:16
So I didn't know what he looked like obviously, I wasn't allowed to know his name, I wasn't allowed to know his age, they would not tell me anything
23:25
So I've already gone through this trauma and now I don't even know who's done it to me, I don't know anything about them
23:33
and I remember I found out his name through when he went to court for his plea
23:42
My mum went along and obviously was able to find out the name for the case
23:46
But I didn't find out he was Iranian or an asylum seeker or his age until I saw on a news article online
23:54
I think I found it on Facebook, where it stated that information and that's when I found it out on an article
24:03
When you found out that he was an asylum seeker, how did that make you feel
24:10
It was, I felt quite betrayed because I knew that, I just believed that they should have done more background checks, you know
24:22
It wasn't even someone that, you know, he was let into this country
24:27
He was granted this right to come into this country and that is what he does
24:34
I felt like he disrespected the country, disrespected me, came in with no respect whatsoever
24:41
It just felt quite horrible that in my own country I'm made a victim and I'm sexualised and I am assaulted and attacked
24:50
It was a horrible feeling. One of the other aspects to this is that he was, for a period of time, housed in accommodation by a local Christian charity
25:05
And we know that plenty of asylum seekers, especially from Iran, and we don't know if this is specifically the case with this guy
25:14
but are claiming that they can't be sent back to Iran or other Muslim countries because of their Christian beliefs
25:25
What do you make of that, given what's happened to you? I don't believe it, to be honest
25:32
I believe, you know, Christianity is a strong faith and it's a beautiful religion
25:38
and I don't believe if you were so strong about your religion
25:44
and the respect and everything like that, loving each other the same
25:49
you would not have done what you'd done to me because you had no respect, you had no faith
25:56
you had no good intentions in that moment. You couldn't have cared about my safety any less
26:04
So I don't believe that it's to do with religion at all
26:09
I don't know. What do you want to happen to this man now
26:14
I want him to serve his time. Serve his time for what he's done to me
26:18
Because he deserves to have to serve his time. But after that I would feel most safe if he got deported
26:27
Because at the moment I feel that my coping mechanism is the fact I know he's locked up
26:32
I know he's in jail. I'm not going to bump into him on the street, which makes things a little bit easier
26:38
But once he's served his sentence and he's out there, I know I'm going to be a nervous wreck
26:46
The worry that I feel now is going to be multiplied by like 100
26:52
It's going to be horrible because I know that he is out there roaming the streets. I could bump into him
26:58
So I would feel most safe if he was deported. because then I know that I wouldn't bump into him
27:08
But that conversation left me feeling, you know, a bit low and felt like I wasn't the main priority because..
27:15
Talk to me about that conversation. So what you're referring to there, I believe, is a conversation that you had with police, is it
27:22
Yeah. Where you made it clear to them that you were hoping that this man would be sent back to Iran
27:29
Yeah. So the police woman I was talking to, she was saying that she hopes that that is what would happen too
27:34
They would look for that to happen. However, you know, with Iran not being a safe country, they have a duty of care
27:43
And if it's not safe enough, there could be a chance that he is not deported, as it wouldn't be safe enough
27:53
And I just felt, you know, you've already put me in an unsafe situation
27:57
We obviously have huge issues with our asylum system at the moment in Britain
28:01
Yeah. And we have large numbers of mostly men from very similar parts of the world
28:08
to the man who attacked you coming in nearly every day. How does that make you feel
28:18
What kind of risk do you think that poses? And what is your message to people who say that this isn't a risk and this isn't a problem
28:28
I feel like people who say that this isn't a risk or isn't a problem are people that haven't had something like this happen to them
28:37
It's only until you are affected by, you know, people coming into the country and every single day all these people that no one knows about
28:46
background checks are done till you realise how much of a serious problem
28:50
that it is and you know I just want other people to understand the point of
28:56
view when we say that it's not safe you know no one knows who's coming in no one
29:03
is doing these checks on these people and then it's people like me who who was a
29:07
normal person before and now facing the consequences of these people you know
29:13
coming in no one knows who they are nothing is checked on them no no research nothing and we're
29:21
having to face the consequences in our in our own country for people that are coming here for you
29:26
know a better life but then making ours worse it's it's horrible it's horrible i think there is quite
29:34
a good chance that people like the home secretary and the prime minister will watch this interview
29:41
and they will have heard what you've had to say and they'll have seen your bravery and courage in coming forward
29:47
and talking about this devastating incident and the consequences that it's had for you
29:54
If Sir Keir Starmer, the Prime Minister, or Shubhan Mahmood, the Home Secretary
29:58
were here in this room now, What would you say to them? I'd want them to maybe rethink how much they're letting in
30:07
because it's affecting so many people including myself and it's only until not everyone gets this chance to speak up and get that message out there
30:18
I'm not the only one this has happened to, it's happened to so many people but I'm just lucky enough to get this chance so I just want them to really understand
30:25
that these things do happen and this is the result of it and you know they might
30:31
just think it's you know for housing letting them in you know doing a good
30:35
thing but really in the end of it it's not it's putting people at danger your
30:39
own people at danger in their own country and I don't think it's fair you
30:44
know I think we should you know understand the severity of the situation
30:48
and realize that it's not always positive and these horrible things do
30:53
happen to people like myself and many other people in this world so I would want them to
30:58
really understand that you know it's it's not all it's not all great and that they should really
31:04
understand that it ends up quite nasty sometimes yeah there is something that you mentioned to me
31:12
earlier that at some point in this process yeah you found out where he'd been living yeah could
31:22
You explain to the viewers and listeners what happened there. So this is another thing that I am really angry about
31:28
On the way back from the Sark, I got dropped home to grab some stuff
31:35
as I informed them that I wanted to stay with my friend that night and they said that they would drop me there
31:41
So they dropped me to my friend's house, sent me off there
31:45
knew exactly where I was staying, and then I found out that when he was, I believe when he was put on bail and placed in housing
31:55
they placed him a few doors down from where she lived, which they knew that I was there
32:02
because they dropped me there and they knew I did dance there, they knew I was in the area all the
32:07
time and that is where they placed him a few doors down. So you have just gone to a sexual
32:15
assault clinic, you've had whatever examinations they've done there and the police themselves
32:20
dropped you back at a property. So they knew where you'd been dropped at. And then you
32:27
find out that presumably around the same time, maybe actually 24 hours, 48 hours after that
32:38
they had also dropped him off. How close are we talking? We're talking a few houses down the road, yeah
32:47
And they didn't tell you this? No. I was not informed. Apparently I wasn't allowed to know, but I believe if you've put me in that situation
32:56
because they came out afterwards and said, oh, we were so worried about you, knowing that you was always in that area
33:01
And I'm thinking, why did you do it then? Why did you place him there and didn't even inform me
33:08
me. It was only until after he was put on my mind in prison that we found out that that
33:13
is where he was staying and I was never informed. So I was walking around, I was probably walking
33:19
past the house multiple times a week. He could have seen me, I could have seen him and not
33:24
even known because I still didn't know what he looked like and I was never informed, I
33:29
was completely clueless. So he will have probably known what you looked like, you had no idea at this point what he
33:35
looked like and for what could be a period of weeks or months you are in the vicinity
33:42
of this man any time of the day any time of night how does that make you feel knowing that now that
33:51
you were in that situation unknowingly for a long period of time i feel i just feel so let down you know the police are the ones that are there to protect you and keep you safe and then you went and put me in a situation where I am probably most unsafe You know you didn think about my safety you was I just believe they were so worried about housing him that they did not acknowledge my safety whatsoever when in the actual end of it I am the victim and I the one that has been attacked and you put me in a situation where he could have possibly done it
34:25
it again, you know, luckily he didn't, but you've put me in a situation with my attacker
34:30
a few doors away in the exact same area, knowing what has happened without informing me. It
34:38
made me feel just so let down, so let down and worried for what could have happened
34:47
You want this guy out of this country, I suppose. I do, because I know my fear for Abby is when he's released
34:58
I think as much as she's struggling with life at the moment, the only comfort she's got is that he's behind bars
35:05
which has given her a level of safety and security. But when he comes out, I fear how much that's going to affect her then
35:15
So, yeah, I would want him deported back. You made your views clear, I think, didn't you, at the time to relevant authorities, the police? What were you told
35:28
I said that once he's done his sentence, will he automatically be deported back
35:35
And I was told that that would be unlikely because Iran's not classed as a safe country and they can't put him back where they believe he wouldn't be safe
35:46
so they said it was unlikely they said that it would be down to the home office it's nothing to
35:53
do with the police or the barristers or whatever it would ultimately be their decision but the
35:58
chances are it would be unlikely that he would be deported back and how does that make you feel
36:04
really angry because i feel like he's got all this protection and there's so much care for his
36:13
welfare and I think well what about my daughter what about everyone else's
36:17
daughters and their safety doesn't mean anything it's the focus feels like it's
36:24
very much on him and what's best for him rather than than Abby or anyone else
36:31
now where we are today feels like a very safe area in fact as I was driving up
36:37
here today I thought gosh what a wonderful place this would be to raise
36:41
a family I've got young family I think this will be lovely around here feels
36:44
safe doesn't it and some of the surrounding areas to think that
36:50
something like this could happen around here I just wonder if that's a bit of a
36:56
wake-up call to people that this can happen anywhere now yeah and to be
37:00
honest up until a year just over a year ago we lived in London loved London
37:06
However, we decided to move out a bit for what we thought would be a safer environment for the kids to grow up in
37:18
So I'm shocked, but it just shows that you're not safe anywhere. It doesn't matter how nice your neighbourhood is or what happens everywhere
37:27
Obviously, unfortunately, crimes have always happened. People have always done speakable things to other people at times
37:36
But when you think back to when you were growing up and maybe when you were Avi's age
37:42
and you were going out and things, do you feel as though it's less safe now
37:47
as a result of what we're seeing going on with the asylum system
37:51
100%, yeah. It not safe and I think what really sad is is that every day I hearing another story And these are just the stories that we aware of I sure there many more that that we don know about but it it really disappointing
38:08
it's now kind of the normal like how is it normal to be hearing these stories every day
38:14
it's like it's just the norm now and it doesn't matter it's really disappointing and I think the
38:20
world's a scary, scary, scary place. Now no one's safe, especially young girls and women
38:28
You had a situation, I believe, where you had to sit opposite this man in court, in the waiting
38:37
room, did you? Yeah. What was that like? The hardest thing I've ever done. To sit there so
38:44
close to the man that's hurt my child was difficult. You alright
38:53
I was so angry and sorry, all I could see was this network of support around him
39:02
all these people there helping him and all along my daughter was at home on her
39:07
own with no support. That was hard. He had members of the church there. He was
39:21
talking perfect English in that waiting room and then all of a sudden he then
39:27
required an interpreter and I just feel like he just had instant access to all
39:32
of these things to help and enable him while my daughter got nothing, nothing
39:37
at all. What do you make of the fact that he was being helped by a church group? I
39:49
think it's ridiculous. I don't for one minute believe that this, that he was
39:58
changing his religion. I think it's just a get out clause. It's a tick box
40:03
exercise to give the right answers to get the support of our country. This is
40:07
the idea that it appears that he might have been trying to claim that he was
40:12
converting from Islam to Christianity as a way of being unable to go back home to
40:19
Iran because he might face persecution. Yeah that was the reason that the police
40:25
told us was that his father was very strict on his religion and that was why
40:32
come to the country to find God. And you don't buy that? No. If he was coming and he was
40:39
genuinely converting to Christianity, what he's done is not very Christian. So no, I
40:44
think it's so many cases that I've read up on, it's the same story. It's the same thing
40:54
It's just, I think they just say and do what's going to get them the most. And by doing that
41:01
you're going to get supported. So no, I don't buy it at all
41:06
When you look at the asylum system that we've got at the moment, and you continue to see
41:13
articles and reports about the amount of people, mostly men, who are coming into this country
41:17
every day, and the accommodation that they're going to be put in, how does that make you
41:23
feel given what your family has been through? Really angry. Really, really angry
41:28
I think my biggest thing and I actually asked the police about this is that all
41:34
these people coming into the country is there no checks done you know any
41:39
background checks from from their country because one of the things that
41:42
come up in Abby's case was is that he was kind of promoted as this you know
41:47
really good character that's not been in any trouble before and and I brought up
41:52
well how do you know that because there's no background check so how we how do you
41:56
How do you know that And how do you know that Abby case is the first offence that he committed He could have done lots of things and just managed to get away with it And I was told which really shocked me and angered me a lot
42:09
was that they did actually contact Iran's police force to try and get some kind of background check on him
42:17
to find out if there was any previous offences. And they weren't at liberty to answer
42:22
However, if he'd been a drug baron or he'd killed someone, we could actually enforce
42:30
that we're given that information. But because it's just a sexual assault or a rape, they've got no right to get that information
42:37
From Iran. Yeah. Which does indicate perhaps the way that Iran views women and sexual assault
42:43
Yeah, it's a sexual assault. I took from that that sexual assault and rape is nothing, it's not a big enough crime
42:48
if it had been a different crime they would have been able to. Well that tells you a lot possibly
42:53
about the attitudes towards women and girls in in that country. What would your message to the
43:00
Home Office be? What would your message to the Prime Minister be when it comes to this individual
43:06
To stop what they're doing or if you are going to help people that there needs to be more robust
43:12
checks on these people. We need to know why they're running. They're giving a reason
43:20
the reason why they're coming to this country, but we don't know that that's true. You don't know whether they've done something in that country
43:25
and that's why they're running. There needs to be more checks done
43:31
and I think there should also be that if people do come to this country
43:35
and they commit a crime, to me that should be instant deportation
43:39
They should then be sent back home. And I'd like to ask if it was their daughter, would they still have the same views
43:49
Would they still be doing what they're doing if it was one of their own
43:54
I don't think they would. If they've gone through the nightmare that Abby's gone through, or gone through the nightmare
44:00
that us as the family's gone through, would they still have that same opinion
44:04
Would they still allow for these people to come in our country
44:08
And like I say, you're hearing about stories daily. This is becoming the norm and that's so wrong
44:17
It's so wrong. We're not safe in our country now and I feel like that the people that are coming to our
44:22
country have got more rights and more protection than what we have
44:27
We do have a spokesperson for the Home Office who has said this. Our thoughts are with this brave survivor and all survivors of sexual violence, this
44:34
government will not allow foreign criminals and illegal migrants to exploit our laws
44:38
which is why we are reforming human rights laws and replacing the broken appeals system
44:42
allowing us to scale up deportations. The Home Secretary has announced the most sweeping reforms to tackle illegal migration in modern times
44:50
which will make Britain a less attractive destination for illegal migrants and will make it easier to remove and deport them
44:56
All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence in the UK are referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity
45:05
So make of that what you will. A spokesperson for Hertfordshire Police has told GB News
45:10
we are aware that a number of concerns have been raised, which we are taking extremely seriously
45:14
and we're working at pace with partners in the criminal justice system and our professional standards department to review the issues raised
45:22
Victim care is our priority. We take all reports of sexual assault seriously and we'll always thoroughly investigate in order to bring offenders to justice
45:29
We have specially trained officers on hand to provide advice and support to victims throughout
45:34
Now, and of course, this is in relation to the perpetrator, who's now in prison, being housed right near Abbey
45:42
And they said, upon his initial arrest, police charged and remanded Kalafi
45:46
He was released on court bail with conditions following his first court appearance
45:52
During his next appearance, police raised concerns around the suitability of his bail address and made an application
45:59
for bail to be revoked. He was subsequently remanded
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