Sobhia Khan’s brother, Javid Khan, tearfully expressed his concerns about the supervision of Atual Mustafa, the man responsible for her murder, during an inquest into her death at Chesterfield Coroner’s Court. Khan lamented that his family was “duped” by Mustafa, who was known to them as Asif, and held himself responsible for not intervening in time to prevent the tragedy. Mustafa had previously served a hospital order for a sustained attack on another woman and was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
The inquest will investigate the decision to discharge Mustafa from a secure psychiatric unit in Derby and the conditions attached to his release. Mustafa was required to comply with appointments and medication, as well as notify authorities if he started a new relationship. However, authorities relied heavily on his self-reported information, which was often inaccurate. Mustafa even lied about being in a relationship when questioned in the presence of Khan’s family.
Atual Mustafa
Khan also expressed regret at not intervening sooner, stating that if he had known about Mustafa’s past, his sister would still be alive. The inquest will also examine Mustafa’s “secret sexual relationship” with a staff member at Cygnet Hospital, which was claimed to have been inadequately assessed and saw Mustafa present himself as a victim despite evidence of controlling behaviour.
Mustafa’s actions were described as “forceful and dominant,” and he posed an “obvious risk to women.” Despite this, the conditions attached to his release were not effectively monitored, allowing him to continue his dangerous behavior. Khan’s family discovered Mustafa’s real identity and past offenses only after Sobhia’s murder, and they believe that had they known, they could have prevented the tragedy. The inquest will continue until the end of June, seeking answers and justice for the Khan family.
