Description
A rapist has been jailed thanks to vital forensic evidence obtained more than a year before police were informed of his crime.
The victim, a young woman studying in Nottingham, was raped by an acquaintance after a night out in March 2019.
When she initially decided not to tell the police she was advised by a friend to visit Nottingham’s Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
The SARC, an independent specialised medical clinic designed to secure evidentially sound forensic evidence, was then able to release its findings once a criminal complaint was made in November 2020.
The evidence, which clearly indicated intimate contact between the victim and her assailant, proved vital when he denied that any sexual contact took place.
After a four-day trial at Mansfield Magistrates Court in December, Michael Gibson was found guilty of rape.
The jury heard how Gibson, now aged 26, had shared a room and a bed with the victim after missing his bus home.
She later awoke to find him committing the offence.
The victim initially approached Nottinghamshire Police five days after the incident but said she did not want to take the matter further.
With vital forensic evidence secured, however, she was able to successfully reengage with officers the following year.
That evidence, contained on clothing worn by the victim, was presented to prosecutors alongside Gibson’s denial of sexual contact and a series of mobile phone messages in which he apologised to the victim
Appearing at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Friday July 18, Gibson, of HMP Nottingham, was jailed for six-and-a-half years.
Detective Sergeant Emma Steele, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“Like many victims of rape and sexual assault, the victim in this case was initially reluctant to involve the police or support a prosecution.
“While we’d always encourage people to engage with us at the earliest opportunity, she did exactly the right thing in visiting the SARC on the day after the incident and ensuring that vital forensic evidence was secured.
“Had she not done that then it is highly unlikely that this prosecution would have succeeded.
“It is then important for all victims to know that they can attend the SARC without involving the police.
“They will provide you with support and advice, as well as obtaining valuable evidence which can be stored for two years in the event you wish to the report the matter at a later date.
“In this case that allowed us to successfully prosecute a case we first knew of 18 months after it happened.
“As this case comes to a close I remain full of admiration for the victim and the determination she has shown, and hope this result encourages others to come forward and tell us what’s happened to them.”