PAULO KRETTEIS, FORMER PRINCETON STUDENT AND PROFESSIONAL RUGBY PLAYER, SENTENCED IN LONDON FOR VIOLENT SEXUAL OFFENSES

A 22-year-old man named Paulo Kretteis, previously a student at Princeton University and a professional rugby player, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison following convictions for two counts of rape and making threats to kill in London.

Kretteis, of Northolt in West London, was found guilty at Isleworth Crown Court in January after a trial. Described as a 'very real danger to women,' he was said to have taken 'real pleasure' in causing fear, pain, and humiliation to his victims. The dual Brazilian national previously played rugby professionally for the Ealing Trailfinders and studied Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton University, an Ivy League school in New Jersey. He was expelled in May 2019 after an internal investigation proved he engaged in 'non-consensual sexual intercourse,' although he did not face criminal charges related to that incident.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Kretteis was in London when he first encountered his initial victim outside The Chatsworth Bar in Acton in the early hours of October 13, 2019. The court detailed that he accompanied her back to her home in Hammersmith, and as they approached a secluded footbridge, he grabbed her by the throat and threatened to kill her. He then assaulted her, striking her in the face and forcing her to perform a sex act. A particularly chilling part of the attack involved him telling her to smile when she questioned whether she still had all her teeth after he had hit her.

The victim managed to escape, flagged down a taxi, and called the police, although Kretteis fled the scene. He initially denied involvement, claiming the hairstyle of the man in CCTV footage was different from his, but evidence including Instagram posts confirmed his presence at the scene, wearing a Princeton University sports jersey. The victim now suffers from numbness on the left side of her face, has difficulty with one eye, experiences flashbacks, and is often overwhelmed with anger and crying.

The second assault took place in the early hours of December 15, 2019, at an apartment in Ealing, where Kretteis attacked a 20-year-old woman. The court was told that when she refused to let him film them having sex, he attacked her, grabbing her neck in what the judge described as 'the most dangerous and traumatic way for any woman.' He attacked her again later in a locked room, forcing a pillow over her face, leaving her with bruises, bite marks, and hair pulled out. The victim stated she believed he was trying to kill her and described being left 'physically, psychologically and emotionally harmed.' She now sleeps with a kitchen knife by her bed and was unable to swallow solid food for days.

In a victim impact statement read aloud, she said, 'He made me feel like I deserved it and was being dramatic for reporting it to the police.' She also recounted how Kretteis had tried to manipulate her into retracting her statement, claiming, 'he only did it to me because of how much he loved me,' leaving her haunted by his words. She expressed difficulty trusting others, especially men.

Kretteis was identified as the perpetrator in February of the following year through DNA evidence found on a jacket left behind by his first victim, which was recovered from a nearby bin. The court heard that he claimed his victims had attacked him first.

The defense presented a different narrative, with Kretteis’ barrister, Nicola Shannon, emphasizing his academic achievements and potential for rehabilitation. She described him as an A* student who supported his single mother and siblings, noting his sports ambitions were thwarted by injury. She argued that early exposure to violence in his home life contributed to his behavior, stating, 'He is someone who appears before the court with the ability to lead an upstanding life, to show determination, character, and assistance to others.'

Judge Giles Curtis-Raleigh sentenced Kretteis to 10 years for the first rape and eight years for the second, to be served consecutively, with an additional five years on extended license. He also received concurrent sentences of three years and 11 months for assault occasioning actual bodily harm and four years for making threats to kill.

The judge condemned Kretteis, noting, ‘In both cases, they were in no position whatsoever to resist the violence, both sexual and physical, you inflicted—due to your size and strength.' He highlighted Kretteis’s expulsion from Princeton following an internal investigation and criticized his continued denial of responsibility, stating, ‘You continue, quite absurdly, to blame your victims, claiming they attacked you first. Their injuries reflect the ferocity of your assaults.’

Kretteis was also told he will serve at least two-thirds of his sentence before being eligible for release, emphasizing the high risk he poses to women and society.