Rapist's Bid for Payout Over Tag 'Distress'
A Turkish migrant and convicted rapist, who has successfully fought deportation from the UK for more than ten years, is now seeking compensation from the state. Mustafa Taskiran, 48, claims that being forced to wear a 24-hour electronic tag caused him 'intense physical and mental distress', leading to depression.
In a surprising legal turn, a High Court judge, Mr Justice Lavender, ruled in Taskiran's favour on the compensation question. This ruling came just days before the 48-year-old confessed to separate charges of stalking and threatening to kill a woman with a knife, for which he is expected to be sentenced this month.
A Long History of Criminal Activity
Taskiran's lengthy criminal career in Britain began just four years after he was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK in 1994. Over a single decade, he amassed a staggering 54 offences.
Despite this prolific record, he managed to escape a deportation order in 2009. His most serious crime came in 2014, when he was sentenced to six years in prison for rape.
Following his release in 2018, attempts to finally remove him from the country were thwarted again. The Turkish authorities revoked his nationality and refused to issue travel documents, rendering another deportation attempt impossible.
Public and Political Outcry
The revelation that Taskiran could receive a payout has provoked significant anger. Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick voiced the sentiments of many, stating that neither he nor the British public care about the migrant's 'so-called depression'.
The Home Office reiterated its stance, with a spokesperson saying, 'When foreign nationals commit serious crimes we do everything in our power to deport them.' This case highlights the ongoing challenges within the UK's immigration and justice systems when dealing with foreign national offenders who resist removal.
