A 15-year-old African migrant who raped a teenage girl in a park as she walked home from a night out has been jailed for more than five years.
The 17-year-old victim was subjected to the horrific attack near tennis courts in Cripplegate Park, Worcester, on August 10 last year.
A court heard the boy followed the girl, who he did not know, into the park at around 2am before telling her she was ‘pretty and sexy’.
The youth, who was wearing a balaclava and a full-black tracksuit, told her he wanted to have sex with her and it would ‘only take five minutes’.
When she refused, the court heard he forced himself onto her.
The now 16-year-old, who legally cannot be named due to his age, previously admitting one count of the rape of a woman and one count of assault by penetration.
He was jailed for five years and three months at Worcester Crown Court today.
The court was told that the victim pleaded with the defendant to let her go home as he pulled off her shorts and underwear, while repeatedly telling her that he was 18.
The 17-year-old victim was subjected to the horrific attack near tennis courts in Cripplegate Park (pictured), Worcester, on August 10 last year
Once she was able to get free, she grabbed her clothes and fled while the defendant sat in the park, the court heard.
After the attack, the victim was found by two people who were walking through the park.
One of the witnesses described the victim as in a state of ‘distress and shock’, and said she had told them a man had taken her shorts off and raped her.
DNA including traces of blood and semen were found on the clothing of both the defendant and the victim.
Police launched a manhunt for the boy and he was arrested, before being charged two days after the attack.
Sentencing the youth, Judge James Burbidge said: ‘You had the opportunity to tell the police what happened and you decided to lie.
‘You have limited acceptance of what you have done.
‘You have little understanding of what you have done to the victim, and you have little interest in the impact upon her.
‘There is a high risk of you doing something like this again. That is a concern to this court.
‘You did plead guilty at an earlier hearing, but I do not believe I can give you the full reduction [for the guilty plea] because you have contested that fact today.’
The defendant, a foreign national who arrived in the UK from Africa in 2023, has the right to remain in the UK, it was heard, and required an interpreter in court.
He had initially appeared for an application to vacate his plea, which was turned down by Judge Burbidge before sentencing.
In a victim impact statement, the girl described being scared of men and having nightmares every day because of the attack.
She said she had developed a drug habit since the rape, which helps her get through the day.
She said: ‘I do not know the person who did this to me. I’m glad I do not have to see him again.’
In mitigation, the defence argued there was no certainty that the defendant followed the victim with the intention of raping her, and that the balaclava was not a face covering, and was better described as a hat or a durag.
As well as the five-year rape sentence, the youth was also sentenced to 30 months for assault by penetration, to be served concurrently.
An application made by media to name the defendant was rejected by the court.
After the case, Detective Inspector Sharon Wallace-Rathmell, of West Mercia Police, said: ‘This was an incredibly traumatic experience for the victim, and one which also shocked the local community.
‘I’m pleased that the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons due to his age, will be detained for a significant period of time and won’t be able to cause further harm.
‘We take all reports of rape and sexual assault incredibly seriously, and I’d like to commend the victim for having the courage to report the incident to us so quickly.
‘I hope today’s outcome shows that we will do everything we can to can to ensure those who commit these abhorrent crimes are brought to justice.’
