The ‘fawning’ BBC Newsnight documentary about two Syrian refugee brothers who have now been convicted of the rape of a 13-year-old girl seven times has been revealed. 

Brothers Omar and Mohamed Badreddin, along with two others, were sentenced to a total of 38.5 years for the rape of the child between August 2018 and April 2019 in Newcastle Crown Court this week. 

Mohamed, 23, was convicted of six counts of rape and one of assault by penetration and was sentenced to 13 years in prison, while his brother Omar, 26, was convicted of five counts of rape and sentenced to 18 years in jail.

In 2016 the Badreddin family took part in a BBC documentary, titled ‘To hell and back: the story of a Syrian family given refuge in the UK’, which followed them on an 11-month journey from Syria to Newcastle as part of the Syrian refugee resettlement programme.

Mohamed, 23, was convicted of six counts of rape and one of assault by penetration

Omar, 26, was convicted of five counts of rape and sentenced to 18 years in jail

The brothers, Mohamed (left) and Omar (right) pictured in the 2016 BBC documentary

During the filming of the documentary, the BBC was made aware of ongoing criminal proceedings against Omar, then aged 18, who was accused of the sexual assault of a 14-year-old-girl.

They were later accused of sitting on this information for several weeks before the allegations were aired. 

Back then Omar was found not guilty by a Newcastle Jury in a trial that lasted two weeks, as there had been several reported issues with translations in the trial and ‘inconsistencies with the evidence against him’. 

Katie Razall, a former Newsnight journalist interviewed the Badreddin family following the trial about the experience. 

Omar said in that interview: ‘I felt she [the accuser] didn’t want foreigners in this country and that is why she made up the whole story.’ 

Razall did not appear to challenge this, and added that ‘Omar Badreddin, was at the heart of the case against them.’

During a voiceover segment, Razall also claimed: ‘The Syrian men in many ways appeared less sexually experienced than the girls they were supposed to have attacked.’

In a follow-up BBC article, she said: ‘The family told me ever since their son’s arrest, they have felt humiliated and dishonoured, even though they were certain their son was innocent. 

‘In Syrian culture, this type of accusation is so damaging to their reputation, that even though Omar Badreddin has been cleared, they fear the stigma of it will stick.’

Omar, then aged 18, who was accused of the sexual assault of a 14-year-old-girl during the production of the documentary

During a voiceover segment of the documentary it was claimed: ‘The Syrian men in many ways appeared less sexually experienced than the girls they were supposed to have attacked’

Neil O’Brien MP, a Conservative former minister, said: ‘The BBC showed remarkably poor editorial judgment in commissioning this fawning documentary, more interested in airing an unchallenged accusation that a 14-year-old girl was a racist who had made up a rape accusation.

‘Given that they smeared a young girl as sexually experienced and failed to challenge the racism accusations made by someone who turns out to be a dangerous sexual predator, you would hope there would be a bit more contrition, but I don’t see any signs so far that any lessons are being learned from this shocking, appalling case’.

The BBC has since said in response: ‘In 2015 and 2016, Newsnight followed the story of the Badreddin family, who were Syrian refugees who were settling in the UK. During the year, their son Omar was tried for sexual assault and found not guilty.

‘Two years afterwards, in 2018 and 2019, Omar Badreddin and his brother Mohamed committed multiple counts of rape. They were found guilty and were jailed last week. The BBC reported this.

‘In any situation, the BBC can only report on the facts as they stand at the time, which is what we did in 2016. The Badreddins’ subsequent crimes are appalling, and we express our sincere sympathies to their victim.’