November 2009

Brothers jailed for abusing girls

Two brothers who carried out a nine-year campaign of sexual abuse against two young children have been jailed.

Al Mutasim Mutasim, 35, and Eldirdeery Mutasim, 24, were convicted of a string of charges following a trial at the High Court in Kilmarnock.

These included the repeated rape of a five-year-old girl and another girl when she was aged between 10 and 13 in Edinburgh.

Eldirdeery was jailed for 10 years and Al Mutasim for five years.

Eldirdeery was found guilty of five charges, which were all committed in Edinburgh between July 1999 and April 2008.

The court heard that he raped the five-year-old after she came to him for protection from his brother.

Al Mutasim was found guilty of three charges.

The brothers, who are Sudanese nationals but have a Scottish mother and had been living in Edinburgh, denied the offences, claiming their victims made the abuse claims up in revenge for an unpaid debt.

Speaking through an Arabic interpreter, Judge Lord Turnbull said the crimes were “quite simply beyond the understanding of a caring and civilised society.”

Advocate Emma Toner, defending Al Mutasim, said he expected a custodial sentence and she felt unable to make any submission about the background of the case.

Solicitor advocate Brian Gilfedder, for Eldirdeery, said: “He can expect nothing less than a lengthy custodial sentence.”

Lord Turnbull said one of the saddest features of the case was the fact both victims did not tell anyone in fear of the effect it would have on their families.

He said the sense of “isolation and helplessness” was a common feature in such cases, undermining the victims’ relationships with others and causing “lasting and deep psychological consequence”.

‘Defenceless child’

Lord Turnbull said Al Mutasim, who worked as a dish washer, had taken advantage of the older victim as a vulnerable young girl new to Scotland and without the support of her father.

Passing sentence, he said: “You used the dominance that provided to perpetrate the most disgraceful breach of trust.”

Sentencing taxi driver Eldirdeery, Lord Turnbull told him his conduct was “far worse” than his brother.

“You abused the younger girl when she was a wholly innocent and defenceless child, beginning your conduct not long after she started primary school,” he said.

“Some time after she had been given the means to protect herself by locking her door, your attentions turned to the other girl.

“Not only did you have regular intercourse with both young girls but in the most despicable turn of events you raped one of them after she had come to you seeking protection from her other abuser.”

Both brothers were placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.