'Controlling' former ice hockey player jailed for raping girls in the UK

Former British ice hockey player and extra Philip Hammar has been sentenced to 28 years in prison for raping and abusing seven girls, one of whom was only 11 years old. The case has garnered widespread attention in the UK, highlighting the zero-tolerance attitude towards crimes against minors.

According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hammar is from Salford in Greater Manchester, England. Victims applauded and shed tears when the sentence was handed down at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday local time. Their reactions reflected the complex emotions after justice was served.

Greater Manchester Police said in a press release that Hammar, 34, who worked as an extra in television dramas, was convicted of 41 counts of rape and abuse of girls, crimes that occurred between 2010 and 2023. Hammar used social media to target and lure his victims, exposing the potential threats of cyberspace to minors.

The court heard that Hammar met his first victim, a 14-year-old girl, through Facebook in 2010 when he was 20 years old. At the age of 27, he targeted an 11-year-old girl through Snapchat. "These were not relationships – you manipulated and groomed these young girls in a controlling and coercive way, they were inexperienced and vulnerable," the BBC quoted Judge Sarah Johnston as saying to Hammar during sentencing.

Police said Hammar's phone was seized after one victim came forward, allowing police to track down more victims. One victim stated in court that Hammar had taken her innocence. "He made me ashamed of myself for years. He made me feel disgusting. He made me feel so alone because I was too scared to open up to anyone, I couldn't even talk to my mum, my friends, my family. He made me feel fear, pain and trauma that no young girl should ever experience. He took away my spark and gave me so much anxiety. For years I was too ashamed to look in the mirror because all I could see was the girl that man preyed on. He will never get my forgiveness for what he did to me. He doesn't deserve it. But I won't let him control my life like he used to. I can now go on to be successful in life because I know me and the other girls whose lives he has affected have finally got the justice we deserve."

Hammar was sentenced to 28 years in prison and given an extended license period of 8 years. The sentence is intended to punish his crimes and send a clear warning to potential offenders.