I didn’t know sex with 13-year-old was illegal -- Student, 18, blames Muslim teaching

'Tempted by girl' ... Adil Rashid yesterday

A STUDENT who had sex with a 13-year-old girl claimed he didn’t know it was illegal because of his strict Muslim upbringing, a court heard yesterday.

Adil Rashid, 18, met the girl on Facebook and groomed her for two months before booking a hotel where they had sex.

But when cops arrested him, he claimed he did not know about the age of consent because of his Muslim education in a madrassa school.

He also said he had been taught a woman was “no more worthy

than a lollipop dropped on the ground”.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Rashid met the girl on Facebook and had chatted and texted with her for two months. Last July he travelled from his home in Birmingham, having booked a hotel room in Nottingham.

He met the girl in the city centre and they went to the hotel and had sex. They left two hours later.

Rashid was arrested the following week after the girl told a school pal what had happened. The friend then told a teacher who alerted police.

Julia Smart, defending, had told an earlier hearing that Rashid had been educated in a madrassa and had “little experience of women”.

The barrister said he told a psychologist after his arrest that he did not know having sex with a 13-year-old was against the law. Rashid told police that he had been “tempted by her”. The court was told he had later “felt bad” about having sex with her.

Judge Michael Stokes QC said: “He’s had an unusual education, certainly in terms of the sexual education provided. Comparing women to lollipops is a very curious way of teaching young men about sex.”

The judge added Rashid must have known it was illegal “unless he was going around with his eyes shut”. He also noted Rashid’s school taught that sex outside marriage is forbidden.

Judge Stokes described Rashid as “passive” and said sending him to jail might cause him “more damage than good”.

Rashid was sentenced to nine months in youth custody, suspended for two years.

--- The sun

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4763915/I-didnt-know-sex-with-13-year-old-was-illegal-says-student-18-who-blames-Muslim-teaching.html#ixzz2J5STro4P