Parole Board to decide Sunny Islam release in private hearing

The Parole Board will decide whether to release Sunny Islam, 37, in a closed hearing next month. Islam was convicted in 2012 of seven counts of rape, one sexual assault, and one imprisonment after attacking four women in East London in 2010. His minimum 11-year sentence expired in 2021, but he remains in custody pending the board’s review.

One of Islam’s victims requested that the hearing be held in public. The Parole Board refused, accepting Islam’s lawyer’s argument that his reported anxiety would prevent him from participating effectively. No medical evidence was provided to support the claim, as reported by the *Evening Standard*.

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Why the hearing is private

Islam’s solicitor told the board that the prospect of a public hearing had caused him ‘a dramatic increase in his anxiety, including sleep disturbance’. The lawyer acknowledged that no medical evidence was available but argued the issue was relevant to Islam’s ability to give evidence. Judge Jeremy Roberts ruled in favour of a private hearing, also citing the potential impact on other victims whose views are unknown.

The decision contradicts the victim’s request for transparency. The board has not explained how it weighed the competing interests, as no public statement has been issued. The *Evening Standard* reported that the board was approached for comment but did not respond.

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The 2010 attacks

Islam carried out the attacks between July and September 2010. He targeted women walking alone at night, using a knife and plastic cable ties. One victim was a 15-year-old girl he kidnapped in September 2010. He told her he would ‘teach her a lesson’ for being out alone, then drove her to an isolated location and raped her.

“No one will ever understand the flashbacks, they are so real, at night I lay in my bed and it is like I am there. It is like a screen in my mind forcing me to relive that night again and again.”

Victim impact statement, quoted at Islam’s 2012 sentencing

Police linked Islam to three other attacks. In July 2010, he beat and raped a 20-year-old sex worker twice. Later that month, he kidnapped, strangled, and sexually assaulted a 28-year-old woman in Forest Gate. A fourth victim, a 31-year-old woman, was tied up and severely beaten during her rape. Blood found in Islam’s car matched her DNA.

At his 2012 sentencing at Woolwich Crown Court, Judge Patricia Lees told Islam his words to the 15-year-old victim were ‘a chilling indictment of your very troubling attitude towards all of these victims’. She added that he appeared to view women out at night as ‘not deserving respect or protection’.

What happens next

The Parole Board’s decision is expected within weeks. If Islam is released, he will be subject to strict licence conditions, including supervision by the Probation Service. The board has not confirmed whether victims will be notified of the outcome before it is made public.