Minister apologises to Rotherham grooming survivor over prison move

Elizabeth said she was 'absolutely petrified' after learning her attacker had been moved to an open prison

The Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer has apologised after a child rapist was moved to an open prison without his victim being informed.

Taxi driver Ashgar Bostan was jailed in 2018 on two counts of rape as part of an investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.

The town's MP Sarah Champion raised the issue in the Commons earlier.

In response, the minister said the victim - known as Elizabeth - should have been told about the move.

Bostan was jailed for nine years after being convicted of raping Elizabeth twice at a flat in Rotherham when she was about 14 or 15 years old.

Ms Champion told MPs: "For a decade she was subject to brutal abuse by a grooming gang.

"Because of her tenacity, she managed to secure convictions - one for an individual for nine years for two counts of child rape against her.

"After two and a half years, she discovered that he had been downgraded to an open prison."

She said neither Elizabeth nor the police were consulted about the move.

"More concerning he is potentially up for weekend release," she added.

Elizabeth previously told BBC Newsnight the move to a category D prison had left her "petrified".

"How can you get a sentence for raping children and then be classed as a Cat D?," she said.

Ashgar Bostan was convicted after a trial at Sheffield Crown Court

In response to the Rotherham MP's comments, Ms Frazer said: "I know that the service have already apologised to her constituent and I apologise on their behalf as well for not contacting her before the referral to open conditions.

"The victim liaison officer has made the offender manager aware of conditions that should be imposed on any release for temporary licence, and so those will be taken into account should [this be] granted."

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