A Swindon man has been convicted of raping a woman in 2016 after footage was discovered on an old phone. The footage showed Carl Wallis having intercourse with the victim while she was unconscious. The three-day trial reached the verdict on Friday. The victim expressed her emotional pain in a personal statement saying that she felt dirty and humiliated and that she would not be free of the mental scars. She found the video and pictures on the mobile phone and they left her in total shock.
Detective Constable Anna McCormack commended the victim for having the courage to come forward in a case “we would not have been able to seek justice without her.” McCormack is urging other victims of sexual assault to come forward, even if the crime was committed some time ago. She added that it can be difficult for victims to come forward and that they have trained law enforcement officers as well as support groups to keep people in similar situations safe.
Local sexual assault referral centres (SARC) can provide victims with medical support confidentially if they do not want to go to the police. They can also gather evidence for later use, without alerting the police.
The details of the trial have been widely shared in the community, at a time when the crime involving sexual assault and rape are under scrutiny. The rape case is an invitation to victims to come forward, confide in professionals or community leaders and share their stories of trauma. The trial exposed the necessity for more resources in this sector and for victims of sexual assault to seek the support they need, despite the enormity of the problem
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