Convicted paedophile Todros Grynhaus has been released from prison after serving just over half his sentence despite an application from Justice Secretary Dominic Raab for the Parole Board to reconsider its decision.
Grynhaus, 57, from Salford, the son of a prominent rabbi, was jailed for 13 years and two months in July 2015 for indecent assault and sexual assault against two girls aged around 14 and 15.
One of his victims, Yehudis Fletcher, said in a statement on social media on Monday: “Today marks an ending and a beginning, I will never forgive those who enabled his abuse, either passively or actively, either with their actions or their silence.”
Ms Fletcher, a founder of the anti-extremism organisation Nahamu, said that she had been told last Wednesday that Mr Raab’s request to review the release had been rejected.
The Ministry of Justice said, “Our sympathies remain with the victims of these appalling crimes.
“The Deputy Prime Minister will do everything in his power to keep dangerous offenders behind bars. He has set out plans for the parole process to take a more precautionary approach when it comes to protecting the public.”
The trial judge, Mr Justice Holroyde, told Grynhaus at his sentencing, “I have no doubt that you felt able to rely on a prevailing attitude of insularity which you hoped would prevent these allegations ever coming to the attention of the police.
“You hoped that, at worst, you might have to pay a form of financial penalty … You believed that the combination of the girls’ sexual ignorance, and the attitudes of some within your community, would make it even harder for your victims to complain about you."
Grynhaus’ case was cited in last year’s report into abuse within religious communities by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. It mentioned that he had also tickled a 13-year-old boy under his clothing although the Crown Prosecution Service did not proceed with that allegation after he had been convicted of the abuse of the girls.
READ MORE: Court rejects Todros Grynhaus's appeal
