Latest news with #British-Pakistani
Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Times
Up all night with ravers, nuns and shiftworkers
Arifa Akbar is scared of the dark. Her British-Pakistani parents told her horrifying tales of creatures that appeared at night, stories 'of djinns capable of immense violence, of daayans with feet on backwards, disembowelling their victims with their bare hands'. She sleeps with a curtain open to let the light of the street lamps stream through the window and travels with a plug-in nightlight. As the Guardian's chief theatre critic Akbar often has to work late into the night. In Wolf Moon, her lyrical examination of the world between dusk and dawn, she acknowledges the ridiculousness of her night-time anxieties. 'But if there really is nothing to fear, why do I feel so viscerally afraid as the dark levitates towards me, everything and nothing thrumming inside it?' The book is part reporting, part memoir. Akbar writes about her father, who was a security guard, first on the railways and then at the Courtauld gallery in London, working night shifts in both jobs. Akbar observed how his work seemed to change him, 'his skin growing sallower by the day as if he were jaundiced, his thinking confused. He was always on the brink of an unarticulated panic.' He now lives in a care home and has dementia, a health risk linked to nocturnal working. At night he can be distressed — a phenomenon called sundowning when those with dementia begin to hallucinate as the day darkens. 'There are times when he holds on to my hand tightly as if he fears being sucked under by quicksand, and tells me the sky is spinning.' There are about nine million night shift workers in Britain. As well as causing dementia, working at night can cause cardiovascular disease, obesity and depression. The work is also more likely to be low-paid and insecure. Akbar speaks to some of these late-night workers. At a care home in Hertfordshire the carers describe how after their night shift they take their children to school, then pick them up later with barely time to sleep during the day. At New Spitalfields Market in Leyton, east London, she watches hundreds of HGVs queue at midnight to unload fruit and vegetables — 'a lush, vegetative oasis within the city'. She spends the night at the Convent of Poor Clares in Ellesmere, Shropshire, rising with the nuns at midnight to sing matins and again for lauds at 6:30am. • 12 exceptional memoirs from the past 30 years to read next However, some people come alive at night. Akbar goes to Berghain, an LGBT nightclub in Berlin, and dances with a Brazilian trans woman who has been attending for 13 years and an Austrian postman who often stays in the club from Saturday through to Monday. Akbar feels transfigured in the club's darkness. 'I am no longer a responsible homeowner, journalist and carer of elderly parents,' she writes. 'I am no more or less than my silver-black dress and gold eyelashes.' She meets the poet and playwright Debris Stevenson who has been a raver for decades. 'You're less self-conscious in the dark, more embodied and there's a wildness to dancing outside,' Stevenson says. Yet at raves she has been catcalled and filmed without permission and has had to intervene in dangerous situations. She says the sight of men forcing kisses on unconscious women is commonplace. In Lahore, where Akbar spent some of her childhood, she watches a late-night comedy show. After the performance some of the female dancers sell sex to the audience members. An elderly sex worker describes how the work has become more dangerous as stricter laws force them to travel to meet clients in unknown locations. While djinns and daayans may be imagined, the threat of violence at night is real. Sarah Everard's twilight abduction, rape and murder sparked a wave of protests about the risk of walking the streets at night as a woman. But it was hardly a new danger. Akbar attends one of the popular Jack the Ripper tours that trace the murder spots of east London. I went on one of these tours once and a man in my group commented on which of the murdered women was the most attractive. These threats aren't just abstract to Akbar. Her sister Fauzia, whose death was the subject of her first book, Consumed, struggled as a teenager with compulsive eating. She would bribe Akbar and her brother to go to a supermarket at night to buy her food. In her twenties she fell into a depression and became homeless. • Read more book reviews and interviews — and see what's top of the Sunday Times Bestsellers List At her hungriest Fauzia would go through bins on the streets. After her death by undiagnosed tuberculosis Akbar's family agonised over how she had contracted the disease. They wondered if it happened in this dark and desperate time of her life. What might otherwise feel like a random collection of vignettes is threaded together by Akbar's grief for her sister and her anxiety for her father. Wolf Moon is a celebration of the exuberance of night-time and a moving portrait of the dangers of the dark. Wolf Moon: A Woman's Journey into the Night by Arifa Akbar (Sceptre £16.99 pp256). To order a copy go to Free UK standard P&P on orders over £25. Special discount available for Times+ members
The Irish Sun
18-07-2025
- The Irish Sun
How UK became hotbed for female paedophiles preying on kids as young as TWO… including mum who molested disabled son
BRITAIN is becoming a hotbed for female sex abusers, with experts claiming official figures are 'just the tip of a very large iceberg'. A Sun probe today reveals 20 per cent of anonymous calls to one charity's helpline over the past eight years were from callers who had been sexually abused by a female in their childhood. 7 Last week former PE teacher Bronwen James, 29, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates' Court charged with a string of sex offences against three children Credit: X 7 A Sun probe today reveals 20 per cent of anonymous calls to one charity's helpline over the past eight years were from callers who had been sexually abused by a female in their childhood Credit: Getty And the number of reported cases of female-perpetrated child sexual abuse in England and Wales rose by 84 per cent in the four years to 2019. Just last week former PE teacher Bronwen James, 29, appeared at Salisbury Magistrates' Court charged with a string of sex offences against three children - two girls aged 14 and 15, and a 16-year-old boy. She is also accused of making an indecent image of a child and having sexual communications with a girl aged between 13 to 15 - with all the offences allegedly taking place over a three-year period while James was teaching PE at Hardenhuish School in Chippenham and Bitterne Park School in Southampton. Thousands of Brits have been sexually abused as children by women but many are too terrified to come forward to police because of the 'stigma' attached to it. Exclusive data from the National Association for People Abused in Childhood [NAPAC], shows that 8,818 call logs related to females sexually abusing children out of a total of 44,281 calls between July 2016 and April 2025. Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of the NAPAC tells The Sun: 'It shocks people to hear, but we speak to survivors every week who were sexually abused by a woman. 'Many have stayed silent for years, crushed by shame and convinced no one would believe them. 'But abuse is abuse - it doesn't matter who did it. What matters is that survivors know they're not alone, and help is out there.' Rotherham survivor Elizabeth Harper* was 15 when she was groomed by a woman - Shafina Ali - who drugged her and orchestrated her rape by multiple British-Pakistani men. Although Elizabeth wasn't raped by Shafina - who died before charges could be brought - she blames her for the horrific sexual abuse she endured during her teen years. Moment 'Teacher of the Year' weeps as she pleads guilty to abusing pupils She tells The Sun: 'There's this stereotype of women being maternal and loving so you don't expect them to offend, but I know just how evil they can be. 'Shafina was a monster who drugged me and facilitated my abuse. I wouldn't have suffered that if it hadn't been for her. 'I still have flashbacks of her, leaning over my bed. Every time I see a woman who looks like her, it petrifies me. I still have flashbacks of her, leaning over my bed. Every time I see a woman who looks like her, it petrifies me Elizabeth Harper 'I hope this report raises awareness of just how many women might be involved in child sexual abuse and gets people talking. 'We also need more regular criminal profiling of female perpetrators involved in horrific sexual child abuse. 'Police seem to only focus on the really high profile cases - the 'As a mum now, I will never understand how any woman can inflict pain on someone else's child - or their own.' Disturbing reality 7 Nicola Murray was jailed for three years in June for physically and sexually assaulting four children 7 Bethany Hill's case, which saw her sexually abuse a child with her partner Zabien Burns, was dubbed one of the UK's 'most horrific and despicable' Credit: Humberside Police The findings follow a string of high profile cases involving female child sex offenders in recent months. In June, domestic abuse activist Murray and made another youngster view an explicit image she had taken of a man she was dating. In March, Nichole Pratt, 25, from Leominster, And in January, Bethany Hill, 26, from Hull, East Yorks., was The Lucy Faithfull Foundation (LFF), a child protection charity dedicated to preventing child sexual abuse and exploitation, says ten per cent of callers to its Stop It Now helpline who report having sexual thoughts about children but have not yet harmed a child, are women. Dr Alexandra Bailey works at the charity with women who have committed sexual offences against children, or might pose a risk to them. She tells The Sun: 'I think in society, we generally tend to think of women as being the nurturers and the carers, and certainly not individuals that would be seen to be sexually aggressive in any way. 'The problem with that is we can then deny that women are able to cause sexual harm, which we know they are.' Britain's worst female child sex offenders VANESSA GEORGE Nursery worker Vanessa George was dubbed Britain's worst female paedophile after sexually assaulting up to 64 children as young as two at a nursery in Plymouth, Devon. George was jailed for a minimum of seven years in 2009 after she filmed her abuse using her mobile phone and swapped indecent images with other paedophiles over the internet. The former classroom assistant was a trusted carer, a wife of 20 years and a mother of two teenage daughters at the time. Female paedophile Angela Allen was also convicted of child sex abuse after police investigating George's case found the women had exchanged sick images online with IT worker Colin Blanchard. CHRISTINE CALLAGHAN Christine Callaghan, then 33, from Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex was jailed for six years in December 2019 after she admitted four counts of child sexual abuse charges. A court heard she was paid £2,285 by another paedophile to livestream footage of herself sexually abusing a young girl over three years. The National Crime Agency caught Callaghan and paedophile Dean Petley, of Leamington Spa, Warks, who was jailed for eight years in November 2019, after investigating beast Jodie Little, 30. Little, from Huddersfield, was jailed for 12 years and four months in August 2019 for sexually abusing children for money online. SOPHIE ELMS In 2018 teenage nursery worker Sophie Elms, from Wiltshire, became Britain's youngest named female convicted paedophile after admitting 16 charges against young children. These included penetration, sexual assault, and taking and distributing indecent photographs of children aged two and three. She was 17 when she committed the offences. ROSANA AWAN In 2024, cheerleading coach at Leicester Crown Court for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl over several years, beginning in 2013. Other shocking cases involve female family members who are often organised and ritualistic. Gabrielle says: 'This is a hidden and often misunderstood form of abuse that typically happens within families or close-knit communities. 'These survivors are 4.6 times more likely to name their grandmother as a perpetrator, and three times more likely to name an aunt. 'It's hard for most people to imagine - but that's precisely why it's been hidden for so long. 'These aren't one-off cases. They reflect a disturbing reality: women, including those in trusted care-giving roles, can and do commit abuse, sometimes as part of a wider, inter-generational pattern. 'Until we face up to that, survivors will continue to suffer in silence.' As a mum now, I will never understand how any woman can inflict pain on someone else's child - or their own Elizabeth Harper Figures from a Freedom of Information request carried out by BBC Radio 4's File On 4 show in 2021 revealed there were over 10,400 reports of female child sex abuse from 2015 to 2019 - equivalent to an average of 40 a week. Between 2015 and 2019, the numbers of reported cases of female-perpetrated child sexual abuse to police in England and Wales rose from 1,249 to 2,297 - an increase of 84 per cent. The most recent Home Office statistics, covering March 2023 to March 2024, show a 27 per cent increase in females arrested for sexual offences (up by 237 to 1,124). How many of those involved child sexual abuse is not published. Among individuals reporting their experiences of child sex abuse to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in England and Wales (IICSA), 16 per cent of those abused in residential care, and six per cent of those abused in other institutional contexts such as schools, sports and religious settings, said female perpetrators were involved, although in some cases these may have been other children. 'In denial' 7 Teacher Rebecca Joynes sexually abused two schoolboys and fell pregnant by one of them Credit: Steve Allen One such case was that of Joynes, 30, from The father of her child talked of the hold Joynes had over him in a powerful victim impact statement read out at court. He said: 'I struggled to come to terms with my abuse. I was completely in denial. 'I subsequently held back and did not fully open up to people… Rebecca was in my head that much. I would argue until I was blue in the face protecting her.' He added: 'It tore my family apart. They struggled to come to terms with the fact they sent me to school, where they believed it to be a safe environment, and this happened as a result.' It tore my family apart. They struggled to come to terms with the fact they sent me to school, where they believed it to be a safe environment, and this happened as a result Child sexual abuse survivor Overall, female child sex abuse rates are still far lower than they are for male child sex abusers. According to the Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse (CSA Centre) males account for 92 per cent of the abusers. The most recent data from the UK Office for National Statistics shows 3.8 per cent of child sexual abuse survivors say their perpetrator was a female. A further 4.5 per cent reported their abuse was by both a male and female. 'Tip of a very large iceberg' But forensic psychologist Dr Joe Sullivan warns: 'The official statistics are like the tip of a very large iceberg.' While based in the Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU) of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre, Dr Sullivan assisted police in many of the UK's highest profile investigations into the disappearance, sexual abuse, exploitation and sexual murder of children. He tells The Sun: 'The problem with relying on official crime statistics is that they only relate to people who were accused, investigated, prosecuted and convicted. 'Victim/survivor studies suggest that approximately 95 per cent never report child sexual abuse. 'Of the five per cent who do, the vast majority will never see their allegation result in a conviction. 'Hence, most female perpetrators of child sexual abuse never come to the attention of the police and therefore don't get classified as sex offenders.' Victim/survivor studies suggest that approximately 95 per cent never report child sexual abuse... Hence, most female perpetrators of child sexual abuse never come to the attention of the police and therefore don't get classified as sex offenders Dr Joe Sullivan The latest They reveal 6,825 offenders were found guilty of child abuse in England and Wales in 2024. Of them, there were just 67 convictions of female abusers. NAPAC says the stigma attached to being abused is a contributing reason many people won't reach out for help. Gabrielle adds: 'Survivors often carry deep shame when the perpetrator was a woman. 'This stigma affects both male and female survivors equally and is fuelled by harmful myths like 'boys enjoy it' or women don't do that sort of thing'. These ideas silence people, sometimes for decades.' 'Rationalise' sick behaviour Like men, female abusers will often justify, minimise or rationalise their behaviour. Dr Sullivan, who has interviewed hundreds of perpetrators of child sexual abuse over her 39-year career says: 'One mother described how she sexually abused her severely physically and mentally disabled son to allow him to experience sex with another person, because his condition deprived him of that opportunity. 'A foster carer that I worked with described a grooming process with two boys in her care which involved showing them adult movies and then offering to let the boys do what they had seen in the movies to her. One mother described how she sexually abused her severely physically and mentally disabled son to allow him to experience sex with another person Dr Joe Sullivan 'Another mother described how she began sexually abusing her daughter as an infant to normalise the abuse and manipulate her daughter into believing there was nothing unusual with what was happening.' The A Home Office spokesperson said: 'We are determined to bring the perpetrators of child sexual abuse to justice, regardless of whether they are male or female. 'We are strengthening law enforcement's response, both to tackle the historic cases that were not properly investigated, and also to stamp out the abuse still taking place today.' If you've been affected by anything in this article, NAPAC offers free and confidential support to all adult survivors of any kind of childhood abuse. Call 0808 801 0331 or visit *Elizabeth Harper is not her real name. 7 Gabrielle Shaw, chief executive of the NAPAC, tells The Sun they speak to survivors every week who were sexually abused by a woman Credit: Supplied 7 The Home Secretary announced a raft of new measures and an investment of £10million to tackle child sexual abuse earlier this year Credit: Getty
Scottish Sun
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Rochdale grooming gang fiends could FINALLY be deported months after Pakistan refused to take them back
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RINGLEADERS of a Rochdale grooming gang could finally be deported to Pakistan after using a loophole to avoid being kicked out of the UK. Fury erupted when Qari Abdul Rauf and Adil Khan ripped up their passports and Pakistan refused to take them back. 4 Rochdale groomer Qari Abdul Rauf Credit: nb press ltd 4 Grooming gang members Shabir Ahmed (top left), Adil Khan (top right), Abdul Aziz (bottom left) and Qari Abdul Rauf Credit: PA:Press Association 4 Qari Abdul Rauf, a convicted Rochdale groomer Credit: NB PRESS LTD The men were part of a nine-strong gang of Asian men convicted of sex offences against vulnerable girls in 2012. Up to 47 girls as young as 12 were plied with alcohol and drugs and gang-raped across Rochdale during a two-year reign of terror. Then-Home Secretary Theresa May ordered the pair to be sent back to Pakistan in 2014 as it would as it would be "conducive to the public good". But ten years later, Rauf and Khan still remain in Rochdale where - horrifically - their victims are forced to live alongside them. Rauf and Khan held dual British-Pakistani citizenship but were stripped of their British nationality. A judge ordered both men to be deported to Pakistan nearly a decade ago. However the men, two of Britain's worst grooming offenders, renounced their Pakistani citizenship days before an appeal against the order. This meant they would be left "stateless" if they were kicked out of the UK, exploiting a loophole that allowed them to remain here. Brazen Khan even argued that he should stay in the UK to be "a role model for his child". Khan also claimed he is not wanted by his family back in Pakistan because his notoriety would be bad for the business they own. But according to The Telegraph, a lifting of a ban on direct flights between Pakistan and UK could mean 'progress' in negotiations for deportation. Sources for the Interior Ministry have previously said "progress" could be made if the UK were to take part in talks. They also suggested returning direct flights to the UK by its national airline PIA, which were suspended for safety reasons, could help. But UK officials previously said this suggestion had not been raised in discussions. Rauf and Khan were ringleaders of a prolific grooming gang in Rochdale, which has been plagued by sexual exploitation. Khan got a 13-year-old girl pregnant and trafficked another girl, 15, to others - using violence when she complained. He was sentenced to eight years in 2012 and released on licence four years later. Dad-of-five Rauf trafficked a 15-year-old girl and raped her in a secluded area before taking her to a flat in Rochdale where others had sex with her. He was caged for six years and released in November 2014 after serving two years and six months of his sentence. Earlier this year, it emerged the fiend has been throwing wild parties at his home with large numbers of people turning up. Neighbours say they have been left terrified to let their kids play outside and remain constantly vigilant of their movements. Residents say they are constantly reminded of grooming gangs when they pass by the vile paedophile's home. Rauf now lives in the same area he committed his crimes with victims forced to see him while he is out and about. The paedophile has been spotted being chauffeured around by his son by angry locals who say there is nothing they can do to get rid of him.
Time of India
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Who is Reham Khan? Imran Khan's ex-wife launches new political party in Pakistan
Reham Khan, the former wife of Pakistan's ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan, has officially launched her own political party called the Pakistan Republic Party on July 15 at Karachi Press Club. The British-Pakistani television journalist and filmmaker declared her move as a significant step in reshaping the nation's political landscape. Speaking at the press conference, Reham Khan emphasised that the Pakistan Republic Party would represent the voice of ordinary citizens and work to hold the ruling class accountable. "This is not merely a party—it's a movement to transform politics into a form of public service," she said. She stressed that the party would promote justice, transparency, and equal representation across all social classes. A new chapter beyond Imran Khan During her announcement, Reham Khan subtly addressed her past political ties with Imran Khan, stating, 'I had once joined a party for a person, but today I am standing independently, on my own terms.' Her decision to step into the political world stems from growing public discontent with the current political system in Pakistan. "We've reached a point where people are tired of traditional power games and dynastic politics. I aim to change that," she stated. The vision behind the Pakistan Republic Party Reham Khan clarified that her party isn't here to build personal empires, but rather to represent every corner of Pakistan. She criticised current political norms, saying, 'No one in our party will contest elections from four constituencies at once. That's not democracy—it's manipulation.' She added, 'Our Parliament must reflect all segments of society. People should be represented by individuals who truly understand their struggles.' Expressing her emotional connection with the Karachi Press Club, Reham shared that it had supported her during difficult times. 'All my important announcements will be made here,' she promised. Highlighting Pakistan's challenges During her address, Reham Khan pointed out that basic issues like clean drinking water and primary healthcare have remained unresolved since 2012. 'It's simply unacceptable that people are still deprived of essentials,' she said. She also shared a moving moment when a child urged her not to become like other politicians, further strengthening her resolve to lead with integrity. Reham Khan's political pledge and future roadmap Towards the end of her speech, Reham declared, 'The whole of Pakistan is my constituency,' as she expressed strong criticism of the government's current governance style. She promised to release her party's manifesto soon, which will be built upon constitutional principles and democratic values. She concluded powerfully, saying, 'I have arrived to replace the giants of old politics with a fresh, people-centred approach.' Soon after the event, Reham Khan took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), writing: 'This is for you. Join our working groups. Let's put our heads together & plan our future together.' Reham Khan's early life and background Reham Nayyar Khan, born in Ajdabiya, Libya, in 1973, comes from a Pashtun background and hails from Baffa, a town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan. She is the daughter of Dr Nayyar Ramzan, a respected Pakistani physician. She belongs to the Lughmani Sarkheli clan, a branch of the Swati tribe. Her family moved to Libya in the late 1960s, where Reham was born. She can speak multiple languages, including English, Urdu, Pashto, and her ancestral tongue, Hindko. Reham Khan is also the niece of Abdul Hakeem Khan, who once served as the Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the Chief Justice of the Peshawar High Court. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Education from Jinnah College for Women, Peshawar. Reham Khan's career: Journalism, media, and film Reham Khan's career began in 2006 on Legal TV in the UK. She later joined Sunshine Radio in 2007 and then moved to the BBC in 2008 as a weather presenter. In 2013, she returned to Pakistan and joined News One, then Aaj TV, and later PTV briefly. In 2014, she joined Dawn News, where she hosted the current affairs show In Focus. The following year, she launched The Reham Khan Show, highlighting stories of unsung Pakistani heroes. In 2015, she began another talk show named Tabdeeli on Neo TV—a name associated with the political slogan of her former husband, Imran Khan. She later left the channel in June 2016. Reham Khan has also ventured into film production. In 2016, she produced Janaan, a romantic comedy set in Swat, which was released during Eid al-Adha. Reham Khan's personal life and relationships Reham Khan married her cousin, Ejaz Rehman, a British psychiatrist, when she was 19. The couple later divorced, and she raised their three children - two sons and a daughter independently. She married Imran Khan in 2014 and divorced in 2015. In 2022, she revealed on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she had survived a gun attack in Islamabad. In December that year, she married model and actor Mirza Bilal in US. With the launch of the Pakistan Republic Party, Reham Khan has made a bold move to reshape Pakistan's political future. Her entry into politics not only marks a fresh chapter in her own life but also offers an alternative for voters disillusioned by mainstream political figures, including her former husband, Imran Khan. To stay updated on the stories that are going viral, follow Indiatimes Trending.
Express Tribune
13-07-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
UK-Pakistani leaders urged to counter stereotypes
The British elected councillors and mayors across the party line have appreciated the Pakistan High Commission (PHC) for gathering community leadership, enabling them to connect with their colleagues and peers from across the UK. The PHC in London hosted a convention of Pakistani-origin British Councilors, which was attended by delegates from across the UK, representing all the political parties in the United Kingdom, said a message received here on Sunday. More than 200 councilors, mayors, deputy mayors and leaders of the councils from Greater London to Midlands, Manchester, Bradford, Birmingham and Glasgow, participated in the event. Speaking on the occasion, Pakistan High Commissioner Dr Mohammad Faisal praised British-Pakistani leaders for their vital role in strengthening democracy, fostering multiculturalism, and serving as a bridge between the UK and Pakistan. The high commissioner emphasised on projecting the achievements of British-Pakistani women. "The strength of our nation abroad is reflected in the dignity, unity, and contributions of our diaspora," he stated. "When you rise, Pakistan rises with you." Faisal condemned attempts to stigmatise the Pakistani community based on isolated incidents, urging leaders to actively counter negative stereotypes by amplifying success stories in education, business, healthcare, and public service. He called on the community to empower women and youth, preserve cultural heritage, and explore opportunities in Pakistan's growing economy.
