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A 27-year-old asylum seeker, Mehmet Ogur, has been sentenced to seven years in prison for raping an 18-year-old woman in a park shortly after meeting her through a social media application. At the time, Ogur was residing at the Holiday Inn Express in Tamworth, Staffordshire. The incident occurred in January when he forced himself on the victim, and subsequently sent her messages expressing regret for his actions.
Ogur, a trained veterinary technician, faced trial last summer, where he was found guilty of both rape and attempted rape. Throughout the proceedings, he denied any wrongdoing and claimed that the translations of his messages, which appeared apologetic, were incorrect due to errors caused by Google Translate. The court heard that the attack followed consensual cuddling and kissing in a secluded part of a park near Tamworth town centre.
During the trial, testimony revealed that the victim screamed for Ogur to stop as she fought to free herself. Ogur, a Kurdish man from Turkey, was convicted after the jury was presented with messages he sent containing apologies, such as: “I am really sorry, I didn’t actually want to do this but I couldn’t stop myself,” and another reading, “I am sorry for trying to force you to have sex.” It was also noted that Ogur had arrived in the UK just weeks before the assault, reportedly after crossing by small boat.
At sentencing, Judge John Edwards remarked that Ogur’s future in the UK would be decided by others beyond the court. The victim, in an impact statement, described how the attack had “completely changed me as a person” and said, “The truth is I don’t think I’ll ever get through it. He completely destroyed me.” She asked, “Why me, why did you choose me to completely destroy when all I did was show kindness and empathy towards you?” In his defense, Joseph McKenna highlighted Ogur’s struggles with anxiety and depression linked to his difficult experiences as a Kurd in Turkey. After the sentencing, prosecutor Sachan Gautam condemned Ogur’s conduct, stating, “This was a deeply distressing case in which Mehmet Ogur deliberately ignored the victim’s clear refusal of consent. His behaviour escalated from unwanted advances to a violent and traumatic rape.”
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