Fugitive Child Molester Jailed

From The Gazette Live:

A COWARDLY child molester who tried to flee justice to Italy has been jailed for 15 years.

Aliyow Sharif-Diyad left the UK after the two teenage victims of his vile sex attacks had the courage to report him.

The fugitive, wanted by Interpol, was captured and brought back to this country when he tried to claim asylum in Italy.

Then he continued to deny his crimes and put the two girls through the ordeal of a week-long trial.

Today the officer in the case, Detective Constable Jane Laird, praised the girls.

She said: “They’ve faced it and they’ve been dignified throughout.

“They knew they were right. They knew what he’d done. They knew he’d done wrong and they were prepared to see this through to the end.

“They wanted justice and fortunately they got it.”

A jury yesterday convicted Sharif-Diyad of five counts of rape and one charge of assault causing actual bodily harm.

The Teesside Crown Court judge, Recorder Martin Bethel QC, jailed him for 15 years.

Sharif-Diyad was living in the Stockton area when the offences came to light in 2007, after one of the girls told a health professional, who then reported it to Cleveland Police child abuse investigation unit.

Det Con Laird told how Sharif-Diyad went on the run after he was arrested.

“He was given bail and he was required to attend Stockton police station. He never did. We couldn’t find him.

“We reported him to Interpol as being wanted. He was circulated and he was found when he tried to claim asylum in Italy.

“He was brought back and held on remand pending trial in mid-2008.

“Despite him fleeing, we will still pursue people no matter where for committing these sort of offences.”

She said the girls were “absolutely delighted” with their tormentor’s long sentence: “It certainly reflects the gravity of the offending.

“The girls knew nothing about the court system.

“It was completely alien to them.

“With full support, they gave their evidence and managed to secure convictions.

“He was saying that the girls had made it up and that they’d colluded with one another.

“The jury didn’t fall for that.

“We’ve worked hard to pursue Sharif-Diyad and bring him to justice, and that’s now paid off.”

Detective Inspector Jason Dickson said: “Diyad did all that he could to avoid today’s outcome.

“He fled the UK trying to seek asylum in Italy.

“His attempts to evade justice failed when officers from Cleveland Police’s child abuse investigation unit travelled to Milan to bring him back to the UK to answer for his despicable crimes.

“Det Con Laird has worked tirelessly to ensure that Diyad received the punishment he rightly deserved.”

Sharif-Diyad will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.