AMRO BADAWI JAILED FOR 13 YEARS IN SOUTHAMPTON AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT
A man from Southampton, Amro Badawi, aged 28, of Mandela Way, has been sentenced to 13 years in prison following his conviction for attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration.Badawi denied the charges, which included one count of rape, one count of attempted rape, and one count of sexual assault.
After a five-day trial held in December, a jury at Southampton Crown Court found him guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration.
During the proceedings, it was revealed that the victim, a woman, had gone drinking with work colleagues at a Southampton bar.
She returned home around 3:30 am via taxi and went to sleep.
Between 4 am and 5 am, she awoke to find a man lying behind her, engaging in a sexual assault.
The court heard that she initially froze in fear before the man attempted to rape her.
She managed to shout and push him away, forcing him to leave her room.
The woman then reported the incident to the police.
On December 18, 2020, Badawi was convicted of attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration, but was found not guilty of the charge of rape.
On January 21, he appeared in court for sentencing and was subsequently sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Detective Constable Sue Hampton from Operation Amberstone praised the victim for her bravery, stating, 'Badawi is an opportunist and a danger to women, and I would like to commend the victim for her courage in disclosing what happened that night and for giving evidence in court so that he could be brought to justice.' She added, 'I welcome today’s sentence and hope that it brings some closure to the victim and allows her to move on in her life.' Detective Hampton also emphasized the importance of support services, saying, 'In cases such as these, we work in partnership with Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Services to ensure adequate support is available to victims throughout investigations.
We hope that the strength of this partnership working, alongside convictions like this, encourages other victims to come forward and report their experiences.'
