An 18-year-old man from London has been sentenced to nine years in prison for raping a 19-year-old woman in Buckland in September.
The victim, now 20, was raped by a man unknown to her at approximately 12.30am on Sunday 20 September 2020.
The woman was approached by two men unknown to her on Lake Road, who followed her onto Turner Road where one of them then raped her.
After a thorough and complex investigation by officers from Portsmouth’s Amberstone team, Abdelarahman Saleh Adam, of Gathorne Road, Wood Green, was charged with rape.
Adam denied the offence, however a jury sitting at Portsmouth Crown Court found him guilty on Friday 4 June.
He was today (Friday 23 July) sentenced to nine years in prison, of which he will be required to serve at least two thirds, and will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register for the rest of his life.
Two 18-year-old men, four 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy were all previously arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with this case and were released without charge, facing no further action.
On sentencing, judge recorder Robert Bright QC said that the victim had been heroic throughout the trial and that he hoped the outcome would encourage other victims of sexual offences to report them when they occur.
He added: “This is a brave young woman who has stood up for herself and justice and she is the hero who has prevailed in the end.
“No-one should feel reluctant to report this kind of crime. Victims will be listened to, supported and encouraged by the police, CPS and other agencies.”
Detective Chief Inspector Roger Wood of Hampshire Constabulary’s Amberstone team said: “Understandably this was an incredibly traumatic ordeal for the victim and I would like to commend her on her bravery and courage, which has helped secure this verdict and put Adam in prison for what he’s done.
“I hope this sentence will go some way towards helping her start to move forward with her life.
“I also hope the outcome of this case reassures members of the public that we take allegations of this type of offence extremely seriously, and will do everything in our power to bring offenders before the courts.
Portsmouth Chief Inspector Robert Mitchell said: “The officers involved in this case have worked extremely hard to bring the investigation to the point we have reached today. I would like to thank them for their dedication to securing this outcome for the victim.
“Stranger assaults of this nature are rare, and I hope the community feels reassured that when we receive these sorts of allegations, we will take them seriously and do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.
“We work very hard in Portsmouth to tackle sexual offences in partnership with organisations that support survivors. We want you to have the confidence to come forward and talk to us if something has happened to you, or somebody you know.”
We encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 and speak with an officer in confidence.
You can find out more about the support available to victims of sexual offences here: https://www.hampshire.
