Brave White Girl Chased Non-White Would-Be-Rapist Away From Her Sister

The Northern Echo
October 6, 2014

A sex attacker was chased through the streets by his victim’s sister until he ran into the long arm of the law.

Shakeel Razaq groped a schoolgirl in central Middlesbrough and fled when she screamed, a court heard today (Tuesday).

The 15-year-old’s brave sister ran after Razaq, 22, and called the police, and an officer caught him on Grange Road.

Teesside Crown Court was told that the schoolgirl is now nervous about waking home from classes after the May assault.

Prosecutor Harry Hadfield said the teenager felt “dirty” and was “aghast that it could happen on a busy street”.

Andrew White, mitigating, said Razaq could not explain why he did it, but said he is “deeply ashamed and disgusted”.

Mr White said: “I suppose, really, it was a moment of madness. He is absolutely determined there will be no recurrence.

“He is a young man who had always worked. He lost his job as a result of this, but has always worked up until now.

“He does genuinely and bitterly regret what he did, and he sincerely apologises to the victim. He is mortified.”

Razaq, of Acklam Road, Middlesbrough, admitted sexual assault, and was given a six-month suspended prison sentence.

Judge Simon Bourne-Arton, QC, told him: “It was no mere touching. It was a determined grabbing of her buttocks.

“That caused her to be firstly horrified and thereafter frightened and disturbed. The effects of that incident will last for some time.

“For reasons only you know, you became interested in that young girl and followed her,and persisted in following her for some distance.”

His victim told of her unease as she first encountered Razaq on a bus, as he stared at her, then got off at her stop.

Walking with her older sister, they quickened their pace and slowed right down, but Razaq continued to follow them.

Near the University of Teesside buildings, he put his hand up the girl’s skirt and grabbed so hard it was painful.

A pre-sentence report written by a probation officer described the unemployed chef as “a predatory young man”.

Razaq was also put on a supervision programme for 18 months, and will have to sign on the sex offenders’ register.

A Sexual Offences Prevention Order was made which prohibits him from having unsupervised contact with girls aged under 16.