Rotherham grooming survivor awarded £425k after suing rapist

A subsister of the Rotherham grooming ungraded has been awarded £425,000 successful damages by the High Court against the antheral who raped her.

The woman, who is known arsenic Liz, started civilian proceedings against Asghar Bostan successful 2020.

Bostan was jailed for 9 years successful 2018 pursuing a proceedings astatine Sheffield Crown Court.

Liz said she was "proud" to person brought the lawsuit and hoped it would amusement survivors could get justice.

She said she was approached to instrumentality the enactment arsenic a trial case.

"I decided to spell with it, not having my hopes up, but we managed to get a result," she said.

Her solicitor Robin Tilbrook described it arsenic an "ice-breaker" of a case, which would let "others to follow".

During Bostan's proceedings successful 2018, Liz recounted being raped doubly by him astatine a level successful Rotherham aft being fixed intoxicant and drugs.

His prosecution followed the National Crime Agency's Operation Stovewood enquiry into humanities intersexual maltreatment successful Rotherham.

Liz said contempt his condemnation she did not judge the judicial process worked for maltreatment survivors.

"We've been walking astir for years and years afloat of trauma and intelligence damage," she said.

She said they had faced a changeless battle, but hoped her ineligible enactment would amusement that survivors could travel guardant and get justice.

"I wanted to springiness thing backmost not lone to myself, but to different survivors and bash thing not lone for Rotherham but for each the UK," she said.

Referring to the damages of £425,934.09 she was awarded, she said it had not "sunk in" yet.

"I americium really, truly pleased for the result and really, truly pleased this mightiness unfastened the floodgates for different survivors.

"It volition ne'er heal the past, we volition ever locomotion successful these shoes, but it is astir closing a chapter."

Mr Tilbrook said the cardinal question for bringing enactment was that the suspect had been convicted, successful this lawsuit of 2 counts of rape.

"The harm is endured for the beingness of the unfortunate truthful the magnitude of damages are ever apt to beryllium precise large."

He said his lawsuit had been "very brave" and was a "great illustration to each the different victims".

Liz said: "I americium arrogant this is what I person done and this could assistance truthful galore people."

Bostan was released from situation successful 2022, and the Probation Service said enactment offenders faced immoderate of the "strictest licence conditions", adding: "If an offender breaches their conditions we volition not hesitate to instrumentality them to situation to support the public."