A migrant rapist could receive compensation after claiming his electronic tag caused him depression. Mustafa Taskiran, 48, a Turkish national, told the High Court that the tag caused him “intense physical and mental distress” due to its weight and discomfort. Lawyers are now considering whether “appropriate relief” should be granted to the sex offender.
High Court Judge Mr Justice Lavender ruled in Taskiran’s favour just days before he admitted stalking another woman and threatening her with a knife while under electronic monitoring. He will be sentenced for this offence later this month. Taskiran was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 1994 and has since committed numerous crimes.
Over a 10-year period, the migrant was charged with 54 offences, starting four years after he was given the right to stay in Britain. Despite his criminal history, he avoided deportation in 2009. In 2014, he was jailed for nearly seven years for rape. After his release in 2018, another deportation attempt failed, leading Turkey to revoke his citizenship.
Since his release, Taskiran has been required to wear an electronic tag 24 hours a day while on immigration bail. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick criticised the potential compensation, stating, “I don’t care about this man’s so-called depression.” The Home Office commented, “When foreign nationals commit serious crimes we do everything in our power to deport them.”
