An anonymous 55-year-old man, who was serving as a police officer at the time, has been sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting and raping a woman. He has been found guilty of two counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape earlier this year. As a result of his conviction, he has been dismissed from his position as a police officer since May.
The accused has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years behind bars, along with a corresponding period on supervised licence, and will be placed on the sex offenders register for an indefinite duration. His defence barrister expressed that the outlook for his client is “bleak”. Despite being assessed by the Probation Service as having a low probability of reoffending, the defendant still denies committing the charges and claims innocence.
The case marks the first time that someone in Northern Ireland has been convicted of “rape by stealth” when an individual removes a condom during intercourse, a practice also known as “stealthing”. While this is not a specific criminal charge in Northern Ireland, The Sexual Offences Act specifies that consent to one act does not imply consent to another. The accused was not ordered to undergo a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO), as requested by the prosecution.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has stated that the actions of the former officer display behaviour that falls far below the standards expected of PSNI staff members. The PSNI suspended and subsequently dismissed the officer once he was found guilty of his crimes, and the case serves as a reminder of their commitment to relentlessly pursue those who perpetuate violence against others
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