SUNNY Islam, 23 who raped women to teach them a lesson for being out at night was jailed indefinitely on the 25th January 2012. He is from a strict Muslim home and was brought up with the five pillars of Islam and by his own admission; he told the jury in court that, he is a practising Muslim. Thereby admitting he is aware that Islam in whose name he committed his crimes is a supposedly peaceful religion. Therefore waylaying his victims and raping them at knifepoint is not peaceful but rather repugnant and inhumane.

Between May and September 2010 Sunny Islam terrorised Barking, East London. He dragged away his terrified victims, including a 15 year- old, from the street at knifepoint, then bound and assaulted them. Though only four victims have been identified, police fear he may have attacked many more. Three of the assaults took place in Barking, East London, while the fourth occurred in Forest Gate. He appeared at Woolwich Crown Court on 11th August 2011, where he was found guilty of seven counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration and one count of kidnapping.

The police was first alerted to a series of assaults following the kidnap and rape of a 15-year-old girl in Barking. According to reports, she was walking with her friend at around 3.25am when Sunny Islam grabbed her at knifepoint and drove her to a secluded road. He threatened her before raping her twice in his Renault Clio, telling her he was teaching her a lesson for being out late at night. Though she begged and lied she was 11-year-old thinking he would spare her. She eventually managed to break free and immediately alerted the police. DNA taken from her, led police to identify another victim from East London. The second victim, a 30-year-old had been working as a sex worker in East London and had been picked up by Islam on a date. Once inside his vehicle, Islam repeatedly punched her before raping her. Although she didn't initially report the crime to police, she did actively assist the investigation, once contacted by officers from the Met's Homicide and Serious Crime Command. Islam was traced through the number plate of his girlfriend’s car and after his arrest; his DNA further linked him to two more attacks which were already undergoing investigations with the same chilling words “Teach a lesson” The third victim, a 28-year-old was walking alone on the street when Islam got out of his car and grabbed her pulling her back into the vehicle. He raped her but she continued to struggle and managed to smash through a window of the car and escape. His fourth victim, a 20-year-sex worker from East London, was approached by Islam and agreed to get into his car and be driven to a location nearby but he quickly turned violent and forced her into the back of the vehicle, bound her hands together with plastic quick-cuffs and raped her twice. She was forced from his vehicle and went straight to police to report the incident.

At the sentencing, on 25th January 2012, in a victim impact statement read to the court, the 15- year-old victim said: “No one will ever understand the flashbacks, they are so real, at night I lay in my bed and it is like I am there. It is like a screen in my mind forcing me to relive that night again and again. People will say time will heal, but I think time has helped me accept the truth — that I will never escape what happened”

Sunny Islam was sentence to a minimum of 11 years before he is considered for parole; he was also sentenced to eight years imprisonment for the assault by penetration and an additional eight years for the offence of kidnap. All of the terms are to run concurrently. Addressing Sunny, the sentencing Judge Patricia Lees said “'The harm you have done to your victims is incalculable. The nature and extent of these offences drives me to the conclusion that you represent an extreme and continuing danger to women, particularly those out at night.”  Judge Lees added: “You told her you were going to 'teach her a lesson’. Those words are a chilling indictment of your very troubling attitude towards all of these victims. You seem to observe women out at night as not deserving respect or protection.” Hinting on his background and religion, Judge Lees further added: 'The fact that you have attacked these women not withstanding your background must represent your own wholly warped personality