Man, 22, raped by his dealer on island 'controlled by drug gangs'

A 22-year-old man was raped by a drug dealer over an unpaid debt on an island controlled by gangs.

Chief Constable Gary Roberts from the Isle of Man Constabulary addressed the Tynwald Court, the island's Parliament, and told how drug gangs from Liverpool and Merseyside present the single biggest threat to society on the island, the Liverpool Echo reports. He said the rape of the young man over an unpaid debt showed how serious the drug crime is, and said the issues were not 'exclusive' to certain estates but also affected 'middle-class families'.

Ms Tanya August-Hanson MLC also read out a letter from parents in court whose life had been affected by drug crime. She said a young man had been sexually assaulted by a drug dealer when he could not pay his debt, she said: "Yes, a 22-year-old boy raped by a 30-year-old man for a debt of less than £500."

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The ECHO understands the man who carried out the rape was not charged with an offence due to a lack of cooperation from the victim.

Mr Roberts told the ECHO how this type of violence was a direct result of the drug economy sponsored by Merseyside gangs. He said: "The rape of the young man was typical of the situations that arise in relation to drug debts. And these issues are not exclusive to certain estates on the island. Middle class families have experienced some of these issues."

Mr Roberts explained that established gangs from Merseyside were responsible for setting up drug rings on the island, which often resulted in violence when debts were not paid. He said: "From a criminal perspective they are very good at what they do. The model is similar but not identical