Mubarek Ali: Petition aim ‘is to protect sex victims’

Almost 70,000 people have now signed a petition launched by Ashley Ray to stop Mubarek Ali being released, after he was jailed for his part as one of the leaders of the Operation Chalice grooming gang.

Mr Ray, 50, from London, who set up the petition, says he wants to see it hit about 100,000 before it is handed to the Government.

He said he has been involved in getting justice for victims of child sexual exploitation after meeting someone who survived a similar gang.

He said: “It is not about me, it is about the survivors and victims.

“I have become very involved in raising awareness for those affected by these grooming gangs.

“I know some of the victims from places like Telford and Rochdale.

“I don’t think the petition will have any immediate affect in this case, but my hopes is that it will raise awareness and eventually people will say to the Government, this is enough, it is not good enough.

“If you commit fraud there is a good chance you will go to prison for longer than these guys and these crimes have ruined the lives of these girls.”

It comes after it was released that Mubarek Ali was not seen by a parole board ahead of the decision to release him in November.

Ali’s release after five years has been triggered automatically as, with remand, he is technically half way through the custodial element of his 22-year sentence.

Ali, 34, of Regent Street Wellington, was given a sentence of 22 years – 14 years’ immediate custody and eight years on licence for seven offences including child prostitution and trafficking. Because his actual jail term was only 14 years of that total sentence, and because he served time in custody on remand before his sentence, his November release is automatic at the halfway point of his sentence.

But if he commits any offences while on licence, he is liable to be recalled to prison for the full 22 years.

Telford MP Lucy Allan has written to the justice secretary to ask why a law, brought in around April 2015 to prevent the release of child rapists and terrorists being automatically released has not been implemented in this case.

She says his case is so serious it should have gone before a parole board. Instead, he will automatically be released in November. The Department of Justice has not commented on the case, saying it cannot comment on individuals but under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, most prisoners must be automatically released at the halfway point of their sentence.

One of Ali’s victims has also written to the parole board to express her dismay that she was not contacted. The email claims that she found out about Ali’s forthcoming release through one of the other victims.

She has now written a statement which she wants to be presented ahead of the release in November and has asked to be part of the process of writing the licence agreements around his release.

The letter, which was sent on her behalf by an advocate, said: “This young lady just wants to be able to sleep a good night’s sleep in her own bed without fear, for her and her family. This young lady really didn’t want to go through this again.”

More than 3,000 people also voted in a Shropshire Star poll in which 77 per cent of those taking part said the decision was wrong.

And scores of readers have commented on the issue on the Star’s Facebook page.