Caritas Bakhita House has helped to secure a prison sentence for a man who serially abused a woman in September 2023. The man was sentenced to a total of 27 years and 6 months in prison, on Friday 16th August at the Inner London Crown Court.
Originally from Vietnam, the woman explained to officers that she had been subjected to 10 days of serious emotional, physical and sexual abuse, and that escaping had been difficult due to threats made to her family, as well as the abuser burning her passport and taking control of her bank cards and mobile phone.
The woman, who escaped by jumping out of a window, was found to have burn marks, stab wounds, severe bruising and fractures to her spine. After spending three weeks in hospital, she was referred to Caritas Bakhita House to begin the process of recovery.
Caritas Bakhita House helped the woman to work closely with the Metropolitan Police throughout the process. The centre’s holistic support and expert team played a vital role in enabling her to give extensive evidence against her attacker, both in interviews and in court.
While living at Caritas Bakhita House, the woman was able to participate in activities including art, yoga, and drama and music therapy. She enjoyed giving beauty treatments to fellow guests and became an important part of the Bakhita family, and still returns regularly to visit.
Following the news of the sentencing, the woman commented: ‘I still can’t believe the court decided on such a long sentence. I knew that if I did not go to court, he would have done this to someone else. Someone could have died.’
The man will serve 17 years in prison with a four-year extended sentence, and was charged on the following counts: false imprisonment, coercive control, wounding with intent, threats to kill, grievous bodily harm, rape, actual bodily harm and sexual assault.
Karen Anstiss, Head of Caritas Bakhita House, said: ‘I am always in awe of the bravery of the women who give evidence; while still recovering they want to prevent others suffering as they have. Their courage saves lives.’
Caritas Bakhita House is a safe house for survivors of modern slavery, exploitation and human trafficking. Since opening in 2015, the centre has provided accommodation to 195 women and 16 babies from almost 50 different countries. Alongside tailored therapeutic and trauma-informed care, the centre also assists women with bringing perpetrators to justice, and has helped to secure a total of 218 years of prison sentences.
Read more about the work of Caritas Bakhita House on the centre’s recently-published Impact Report.
