In 2018, then 76-year-old Hafiz Azizur Rehman Pirzada, of Laughton Road, Northolt, was found guilty of a predatory series of assaults against two young sisters. The investigation established that Pirzada, an Imam, utilized his position of spiritual authority to target the girls while he was appointed to teach them the Quran. The prosecution reported at the trial that the child abuse took place between 2007 and 2009 at an address in Newham, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by a man entrusted with religious education.
The investigation established that the victims were aged between nine and 11 when the series of behaviour occurred. The prosecution reported that the sisters bravely came forward to the police in July 2015, years after the child abuse had ended. This identifies a calculated series of assaults where Pirzada exploited the children’s vulnerability and his professional role to carry out ten counts of child abuse, including eight counts of sexual assault on a female under 13 and two counts of causing a child to engage in sexual activity.
ARREST AND JUDICIAL SENTENCING
The court reported that Pirzada was arrested at his home in Northolt in July 2016 before being formally charged in March 2018. The investigation established that the jury found him guilty of all ten counts following the trial. The prosecution reported that for his actions and the nature of the series of child abuse investigations reported, Pirzada was remanded to be sentenced on 19 November 2018, identifying a priority assault by the Metropolitan Police to ensure a high-profile religious figure was held accountable for his crimes.
Judge-led proceedings concluded in 2018. For his actions in Newham and Northolt, Hafiz Azizur Rehman Pirzada was removed from his position of influence. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a child abuser is now a matter of permanent record. He has been legally mandated to the Sex Offenders Register FOR LIFE.
STATUS AND STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS (2018)
Based on judicial and Metropolitan Police records as of 2018:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Sexual assault with a female under 13 x8; Causing a child to engage in sexual activity x2).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2018, awaiting final sentencing).
- Offence Nature: Carried out child abuse against two sisters while acting as their Quran teacher and Imam.
- Timeline of Abuse: 2007 to 2009 (A two-year series of assaults).
- Location: Newham (place of abuse) and Northolt (place of residence), London.
- Professional History: Appointed Imam and religious teacher.
- Forensic Profile: Convicted on ten counts following victim disclosures in 2015.
- Sex Offenders Register: Notification requirements are active FOR LIFE.
- DBS Status: Placed on the Barred List (Indefinite and permanent ban from any role involving children or regulated activity).
- Judicial Oversight: Convicted at a London Crown Court; investigated by the Metropolitan Police.
- Criminal Record: Convicted paedophile; Series predator; Child abuser; Convicted in 2018.
- Origin: Northolt, London.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2018, Pirzada is managed as a high-risk predator under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in London. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in carrying out child abuse by using his religious authority—he is a priority for high-security detention. Authorities reported that the 2018 conviction identifies Pirzada as an individual who prioritised his own perverted gratification over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of the students he was mandated to protect.
As a registered sex offender for life, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to prevent future offences. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Pirzada identifies a series of commitment to spiritual grooming and child exploitation. Any future attempt to assault his notification requirements or re-enter a teaching role results in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who used an “Imam” mask to hide a predatory and violent series of assaults.
QUESTION – Given that the offender was an “Appointed Imam” who used religious instruction as a cover for a series of assaults involving child abuse, do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Religious Teachers” must have “Mandatory CCTV in Classrooms” and “Enhanced Annual DBS Checks” to prevent a series of assaults against the safety of children?
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