AIDEN BATTYE SENTENCED IN DURHAM FOR ATTEMPTED RAPE AND SEXUAL OFFENSES

A man named Aiden Battye, whose actions took place in Durham, has been sentenced to four years in prison after being convicted of attempting to commit a serious sexual assault. The incident occurred in October 2020, when a teenage girl was sleeping in her own home and was unexpectedly awakened to find Battye on her bed. He was in the process of pulling down her underwear and attempting to carry out a sexual assault. The young girl, who was a minor at the time, managed to alert her family immediately after the assault, which led to swift action by local authorities.

Following her disclosure, officers from the Darlington Safeguarding Team launched a thorough investigation into the matter. The police quickly identified Battye as a suspect, and he was subsequently charged with attempted rape. At the time of the offense, Battye was only 17 years old, but by the time of his trial, he had turned 21. In addition to the attempted rape charge, he faced a second count of sexual assault related to a separate incident involving another teenage girl. Battye denied both allegations throughout the legal proceedings.

Durham Crown Court heard the case, and after a week-long trial, the jury found Battye guilty of attempted rape. However, they acquitted him of the sexual assault charge concerning the second girl. The victim of the attempted rape delivered a powerful victim impact statement, describing how the incident profoundly affected her life. She stated, “I feel my life changed when Aiden tried to rape me – I am a different person and not in a good way. There has not been a day where I don’t have thoughts about what happened to me, and this has caused me to feel depressed and experience suicidal thoughts.”

She further explained the physical and emotional toll the attack has taken on her, revealing that she now spends up to an hour each day scrubbing her skin in an attempt to wash away the memory of the assault. “I scrub myself to the point of making my skin raw. I know it’s not about being clean, I just want to scrub the memory of it off my skin,” she said. The survivor also shared her struggles with guilt, initially believing the attack was her fault. However, the verdict and Battye’s conviction have helped her regain some sense of validation, knowing that others, including the jury, believe her.

Today, Battye appeared at Teesside Crown Court, where he was formally sentenced to four years in prison. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for life, and he received a Sexual Harm Prevention Order along with a restraining order to prevent any contact with the victims. The investigation was led by Officer John Smith, who emphasized the importance of the victim’s bravery. “The girl in this case was attacked as she slept at home in her bed, where she should have been able to feel safe. She has shown great courage by coming forward and telling someone what had happened to her. Thanks to her bravery, Battye is now in prison where he can no longer pose any danger to any other woman or girl,” he stated.