Locations
Woodside Street, Stalybridge, Tameside, SK15
Description
Greater Manchester Police detectives have praised a woman's bravery after her rapist was jailed for seven years.
Andre Reid, 26, of Woodside Street, Tameside, was sentenced for rape at Manchester Crown Court on Friday, December 5, 2025. A restraining order was issued, prohibiting contact with the victim.
The anonymous woman, aiming to encourage others to report abuse, bravely read her impact statement in court.
She said: “I’ve chosen to stand here and read this to you myself. Because for the last seven years, my voice has been taken from me. For seven years, I have carried the weight of what you did in silence.
“You need to hear the impact of your choices in my own words, in my own voice. Because I am the person you hurt, and I need you to hear it from me to face the pain you caused, the fear you left behind, and the way my life changed because of you.
“You need to understand that no matter what you took from me that night, you cannot take my ability to stand here and speak my truth to you.”
She concluded: “I can finally say this – I survived you, Andre. I am free from your control, free from your lies, free from the shame that never belonged to me. I can finally start to live again, and that’s something you will never be able to take away from me ever again.”
The non-consensual rape occurred in June 2018 while she was asleep.
Detective Sergeant John Dineen of GMP’s Rochdale district said:
“This was a devastating assault on a victim which occurred when she was at her most vulnerable – asleep in a bed. She showed immense bravery to report Reid’s offending, and to continue through the trial process.
“To stand up in court and face him despite everything she has been through should be commended and I hope the sentence he has received will be of some comfort to her to give her some closure to this devastating ordeal.
“Detectives conducted a full and thorough investigation to establish the facts of the case with several witnesses spoken to, as well as the woman continuing to be supported throughout the case.
“We want this to be a message to everyone that if you are a victim please come forward and report offenders to us. We will support you with care and consideration to ensure it is thoroughly investigated and perpetrators can be brought to justice.”