A man named Adal, who was 18 years old at the time, has been arrested and charged after investigators discovered his alleged involvement in se*xual activity with a 13-year-old girl he met on social media.
According to reports, Adal had been communicating with the child for two months before enticing her to a hotel room for se*xual intercourse. Adal claimed that after the encounter, he returned home and then went to a nearby mosque to pray.
The arrest came about a week after the child confided in a classmate about the incident. Adal attempted to justify his actions by placing blame on the girl and referring to his Islamic education.
Upon his arrest, Adal appeared confused and professed ignorance about the illegality of engaging in se*xual activity with a 13-year-old. He even mentioned that his education in a madrassa, an Islamic school, had instilled in him the belief that women were inferior and existed solely for the se*xual pleasure of men.
In interviews with psychologists, Adal claimed he had been taught in his school that women were no more valuable than a lollipop dropped on the ground. During the court proceedings, Adal asserted that he could not be held criminally responsible because he believed that having se*x with children was permissible.
To the surprise of many, the judge accepted this argument and allowed Adal to walk free. Although he was found guilty of crimes typically carrying a sentence of 4 to 7 years in prison, Adal was given a 9-month term in a youth center. The judge justified this decision by suggesting that incarceration might cause more harm than good to the offender. Defense lawyer Leake supported the judge’s stance, stating, “It is not too far-fetched to say that he may not have known that having se*x with a 13-year-old girl was illegal.”
Initially, Judge Stokes had expressed doubt that Adal was unaware of the illegality of his actions unless he was deliberately ignorant. However, the judge ultimately sided with the defendant. Adal openly blamed his young victim, claiming that she had enticed him through private messages on Facebook and texts on his phone, which eventually led to the booking of a hotel room. Describing Adal’s education as unconventional, particularly regarding se*xual matters, the judge remarked, “Comparing women to lollipops is a very curious way of teaching young men about se*x.”
We are republishing this story in light of recent reports indicating a surge in child se*xual abuse during the pandemic in the United States. It serves as a reminder of the ongoing importance of addressing and combating this issue.
