NORWICH SEX OFFENDER FLORENC XHAFERRLLARI SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS
A young woman has shared the harrowing experience of being sexually assaulted by Florenc Xhaferrllari, a man who had been lurking near Norwich’s nightclubs, leaving her profoundly scarred.Xhaferrllari, aged 28, attacked the victim—whose identity is protected by legal rules—as she was leaving the Mantra nightclub on Prince of Wales Road in Norwich around 4am.
During the hearing at Norwich Crown Court, it was revealed that the victim, then 18, was walking back to her car parked at Mountergate, close to Rose Lane, when she was attacked.
Prosecutor Duncan O'Donnell explained that after she started heading home, she noticed a man following her, and upon turning around, she saw Xhaferrllari running towards her.
Mr.
O'Donnell stated, “She tried to ignore him.
After she refused a cigarette, Xhaferrllari roughly grabbed her.
She told him not to touch her, which angered him, leading him to grab her more forcefully.” The victim began to scream and attempted to kick him in the genitals.
Xhaferrllari then told her, “just have sex with me,” before forcing her to the ground and sexually assaulting her.
The court was told he covered her mouth as she yelled “help me, someone help,” and despite her screams—about 20 times—he kept his hand over her mouth and assaulted her.
Fearing she would be raped, she continued to call out for help, which attracted attention and led to police being called.
The victim managed to bite Xhaferrllari’s hand, prompting him to release his grip, and as she kept screaming, he ran away.
Before his arrest at a taxi rank, Xhaferrllari saw the victim, who managed to reach her car, and he smiled and gave a thumbs up to her.
After his arrest, he told police, “I feel good, but bad for what I did,” admitting he was very drunk and mentioning he would tell his wife, “I did something wrong last night.” Xhaferrllari, from Kensington Place off City Road in Norwich, appeared in court for sentencing on December 20 after previously pleading guilty to assault by penetration on July 20, 2016.
Prosecutor O'Donnell noted that after his initial arrest, the defendant “skipped police bail” and traveled through Albania, Italy, Germany, and Hungary before being apprehended earlier this year.
A European arrest warrant issued in 2017 led to his arrest.
Before sentencing, the victim delivered an emotional statement describing the profound psychological damage she endured, stating, “What he did will affect me for life.” She expressed feeling “scarred” and explained that her perception of men has been permanently altered, feeling objectified and used by him.
She also shared her disappointment and fear that justice might not be served, especially since he fled.
Judge Anthony Bate sentenced Xhaferrllari to five years in prison, emphasizing that he had “targeted a lone young woman” during her walk home.
The judge described the attack as “sustained and violent,” noting Xhaferrllari had been lurking on Prince of Wales Road and chose to commit a serious sexual assault.
The court also imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim and placed him on the sex offenders register permanently.
Additionally, he is to face deportation to Albania.
Matthew McNiff, representing the defendant, highlighted that Xhaferrllari, then 23, had no prior convictions and expressed his client’s remorse, offering unqualified apologies to the victim.
