SHURSH TAHER SEX OFFENDER FROM WAKEFIELD SENTENCED AFTER MULTIPLE ATTACKS
| Red Rose Database
Wakefield Rapist
In September 2002, a 21-year-old Iraqi asylum seeker named Shursh Taher was sentenced to a lengthy prison term of three years and nine months after being convicted of sexually assaulting four schoolgirls in West Yorkshire. Taher, a Kurd by ethnicity, had previously admitted to charges of indecent assault, leading to his appearance at Leeds Crown Court where the judge handed down the sentence.
The series of disturbing incidents took place over a span of a few days in Wakefield, specifically between June 10 and June 13 of the previous year. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old, and the assaults left a trail of trauma and fear among the young girls involved.
Prosecutor Mike Smith detailed the first attack, which involved a 16-year-old girl who was sitting in Thornes Park, watching her friends play football. Taher approached her suddenly, grabbing her and swinging her around while demanding, “You are coming with me.” He then tripped her, forcing himself on top of her, wrapping his legs around her body. During this assault, he squeezed her breasts and attempted to lift her T-shirt. Taher then simulated sexual activity for approximately two minutes, making growling noises that the girl later described as frightening, leading her to believe he was about to rape her.
The following day, Taher’s predatory behavior continued when he targeted two schoolgirls sitting in a café. When they noticed his stare, he responded with a disturbing proposition, asking, “You come to my house, you want sex with me?” before blowing kisses at them. Taher left the café but soon returned, sitting next to a 14-year-old girl. He began kissing her and touching her legs, but she managed to escape by running into the nearby Ridings Shopping Centre. Despite her escape, Taher later saw her again and groped her breasts, expressing that he “loved her” and wanted her to have sex with him. Her rescue came when a male schoolfriend intervened, scaring Taher away.
The attacks on June 13, 2001, were particularly close in time, occurring within three and a half hours of each other. Taher targeted a 16-year-old girl in the Ridings Shopping Centre, following her up an escalator and fondling her bottom and legs. During this incident, he also attempted to put his arm around her friend, who managed to shrug him off, prompting the girls to flee the scene.
Later that same day, Taher’s assault spree continued in a park, where he approached a 15-year-old girl walking alone. He put his arm around her waist, stroked her bottom, and began kissing her. He then tried to drag her into nearby hedges, but she managed to resist and run away from him.
Judge Ian Dobkin, presiding over the case, expressed his agreement with a psychological report that indicated Taher was not a sexual predator and was unlikely to reoffend. The report suggested that Taher’s confusing behavior might have been influenced by exposure to pornographic films while staying in a London hostel, which may have distorted his understanding of acceptable conduct.
It was also noted that Taher arrived in Britain in early 2001, concealed within a lorry. He applied for asylum twice but was rejected both times, and he was awaiting a tribunal hearing at the time of sentencing. Despite his criminal convictions, deportation remains uncertain, as current political policies in Britain do not typically send asylum seekers back to Iraq, complicating efforts to remove him from the country.
The series of disturbing incidents took place over a span of a few days in Wakefield, specifically between June 10 and June 13 of the previous year. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 16 years old, and the assaults left a trail of trauma and fear among the young girls involved.
Prosecutor Mike Smith detailed the first attack, which involved a 16-year-old girl who was sitting in Thornes Park, watching her friends play football. Taher approached her suddenly, grabbing her and swinging her around while demanding, “You are coming with me.” He then tripped her, forcing himself on top of her, wrapping his legs around her body. During this assault, he squeezed her breasts and attempted to lift her T-shirt. Taher then simulated sexual activity for approximately two minutes, making growling noises that the girl later described as frightening, leading her to believe he was about to rape her.
The following day, Taher’s predatory behavior continued when he targeted two schoolgirls sitting in a café. When they noticed his stare, he responded with a disturbing proposition, asking, “You come to my house, you want sex with me?” before blowing kisses at them. Taher left the café but soon returned, sitting next to a 14-year-old girl. He began kissing her and touching her legs, but she managed to escape by running into the nearby Ridings Shopping Centre. Despite her escape, Taher later saw her again and groped her breasts, expressing that he “loved her” and wanted her to have sex with him. Her rescue came when a male schoolfriend intervened, scaring Taher away.
The attacks on June 13, 2001, were particularly close in time, occurring within three and a half hours of each other. Taher targeted a 16-year-old girl in the Ridings Shopping Centre, following her up an escalator and fondling her bottom and legs. During this incident, he also attempted to put his arm around her friend, who managed to shrug him off, prompting the girls to flee the scene.
Later that same day, Taher’s assault spree continued in a park, where he approached a 15-year-old girl walking alone. He put his arm around her waist, stroked her bottom, and began kissing her. He then tried to drag her into nearby hedges, but she managed to resist and run away from him.
Judge Ian Dobkin, presiding over the case, expressed his agreement with a psychological report that indicated Taher was not a sexual predator and was unlikely to reoffend. The report suggested that Taher’s confusing behavior might have been influenced by exposure to pornographic films while staying in a London hostel, which may have distorted his understanding of acceptable conduct.
It was also noted that Taher arrived in Britain in early 2001, concealed within a lorry. He applied for asylum twice but was rejected both times, and he was awaiting a tribunal hearing at the time of sentencing. Despite his criminal convictions, deportation remains uncertain, as current political policies in Britain do not typically send asylum seekers back to Iraq, complicating efforts to remove him from the country.