A woman said she sees her rapist looking back at her every time she looks in the mirror or closes her eyes. She was raped after her attacker refused to stop when she asked him to during an initially consensual act.
The court heard Michael Okafor, 46, of Newport, and his victim were engaging in consensual sexual intercourse. Not long after they began having sex, the victim objected and became distressed and upset, and was crying.
A sentencing hearing at Cardiff Crown Court on Tuesday heard the victim told the defendant to stop because he was hurting her. He refused to do so and ignored her pleas, carrying on against her will.
In his sentencing remarks, Recorder Greg Bull KC said Okafor then left the victim and she text him, telling him that he had raped her. The police were contacted and the defendant, of Bishton Street, denied raping the victim. He was found guilty of rape following a trial, where the court heard he was of previous good character.
In a victim personal statement read to the court by prosecutor Roger Griffiths, the victim said: “I feel my life and feelings of safety have been destroyed, I constantly feel scared and feel emotionally drained. Every time I look in the mirror or close my eyes I see Michael looking back at me like he did that night. My thoughts are dark and all I want to do is sleep the day away. I worry I won’t be able to trust anyone again and can’t look at another man without feeling uncomfortable.
“When I think back on that night my heart starts pounding and I start to panic. I don’t feel safe living in my own home, I wake up with fear and terror after having flashbacks about what happened. I think ‘Why do I have to wake up’ and ‘Why did this happen to me’. I will always feel the pain Michael has caused me.”
In mitigation, defence barrister Alice Sykes reiterated that her client was of previous good character. Addressing the defendant, Recorder Bull said: “(The victim) makes plain what effect your offence has had on her life. A woman has the right to say no at any stage and you should have stopped your sexual encounter.”
Okafor was sentenced to six years and 182 days’ imprisonment, minus the 426 days the defendant has spent on remand. He was made subject to a 10-year restraining order and sex offender notification requirements indefinitely. For the latest court reports, sign up to our crime newsletter here
Support for survivors of sexual abuse is available from many different charities and organisations. The following non-exhaustive list includes contact details for services that may help if you’ve been affected by the issues raised in this article.
Lifecentre
- 0808 802 0808 (freephone)
- 07717 989 022 (textline)
- lifecentre.uk.com
- Support for survivors of rape and sexual abuse, and anyone supporting them. Includes a helpline, text support, and email counselling.
The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC)
- 0808 801 0331
- support@napac.org.uk
- napac.org.uk
- Supports adult survivors of any form of childhood abuse. Offers a helpline, email support, and local services.
One in Four
- 0800 121 7114
- oneinfour.org.uk
- Offers advocacy services, counselling, and resources for adults who have experienced trauma or domestic or sexual abuse in childhood.
Safeline
- 0808 800 5005 (National Male Survivor helpline)
- safeline.org.uk
- Helplines for adults and young people who have experienced sexual abuse and rape.
The Survivors Trust
- 0808 8010 818
- thesurvivorstrust.org
- Lists local specialist services for survivors of sexual violence, including advocates and independent sexual violence advisers (ISVAs).
Rape Crisis England & Wales
- 0808 802 9999
- rapecrisis.org.uk
- Support for women and girls affected by rape, sexual abuse, or any form of sexual violence. Provides details of local centres.
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