Muslim cleric jailed for pressuring witness over sex abuse in Denmark

Copenhagen Post:

An Iraqi-born imam was sentenced to prison in a Copenhagen court on Wednesday for attempting to persuade a mother not to report her husband for sexually abusing their son.

The Eastern High Court found that the imam had pressed and threatened the woman to try to get her to withdraw her report of her husband and one of his friends for sexually abusing her seven-year-old son.

'If he swears by the Koran that he didn't do it, you must go to the police and tell them that you're not going ahead with the case,' the imam reportedly told the mother in one of his phone calls. 'Remember that we are Muslims, and if you haven't seen anything, he hasn't done anything.'

Despite heavy pressure from the 44-year-old religious leader, the woman persisted and witnessed against the two men in court. She is now living at a secret address.

The boy's father has been sentenced to three years in prison and deportation for sexually abusing his son. The father's friend was sentenced to 18 months in prison and deportation.

The imam received 60 days in prison for his attempts to influence the court's witness.

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