A MUSLIM man accused of abducting and raping a teenage girl also allegedly forced her to marry him under sharia law before he was arrested by Wagga Highway Patrol.
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The traumatised 18-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, claimed Chafic Charyala, 31, showed up at her bedroom window in Bankstown at 2am on Sunday and threatened to kill her unless she went with him.
Police allege the girl was raped and sexually assaulted before she was taken to a private home in Sydney’s West where a sheik married the couple under sharia law.
Charyala, who is unemployed and on a bridging visa, wrongly believed the ceremony would help him to get residency, police claim.
However, a marriage under sharia law is not valid under Australian law.
The victim was then driven hundreds of kilometres away from her family in a terrifying kidnapping attempt as Charyala allegedly tried to bring her to Melbourne to live with his cousin.
However, one of Charyala’s closest friends has thrown cold water on the accusations.
Bilal Hallani believes there is more to the story than what has been told by the victim.
“I know him very well and he's not that type of person,” he said.
“Why didn't she scream for help at her bedroom window or at the hotel, it seems suspicious.
“The sheik wouldn't conduct anything without her father or brother present under sharia law, so this does not seem legitimate.”
Charyala appeared at Bankstown Local Court on Wednesday after not applying for bail in Wagga Local Court on Tuesday.
He again did not make a bid for bail, but had it formally refused by the magistrate.