RASARIO REIS AND THE SHOCKING RAPE IN SOUTHAMPTON'S PALMERSTON PARK
A woman who was sexually assaulted in a secluded area of Palmerston Park in Southampton has spoken out about how the traumatic incident has profoundly altered her life.The victim, who cannot be named due to legal restrictions, described her experience as a sentence she believes she did not deserve, emphasizing the lasting impact it has had on her personal and emotional well-being.
Rasario Raquel Dos Reis, aged 27, was convicted and sentenced to more than eight years in prison for the assault.
The court heard that he lured the woman into a thicket of bushes near Above Bar Street, where the attack took place.
At the time, the victim was only 19 years old and under the influence of alcohol.
During the sentencing hearing at Southampton Crown Court, a victim impact statement was read aloud by prosecutor Tom Wright.
In her statement, the woman recounted that the weekend of the assault was meant to be a celebration, but instead, it became a turning point in her life.
She expressed how the incident has shattered her family life and ended her relationship.
She described feeling unclean and increasingly turning to alcohol as a means of coping, stating, “I drink much more regularly than I used to.
I find this comforting and I don’t think about things when I’m drinking.” The woman also shared her fears and anxieties that have arisen since the attack.
She explained that she no longer feels safe walking alone in her hometown and feels uneasy around crowds, a stark contrast to her previous sense of independence.
Her words underscored the profound and enduring trauma inflicted by Reis’s actions, emphasizing her sentiment that she has been given a “life sentence that I did not deserve.” Rasario Reis, who was residing on St Mary’s Street in Southampton at the time, was arrested shortly after the assault.
The incident occurred early in the morning of February 19, after the victim had attended a party the night before.
Seeking to clear her head, she went for a walk in the city center around 6:30 am.
During her walk, she encountered Reis, who claimed to be waiting for a coach to Oxford.
She approached him to ask for the time, and it was at this point that he began to follow her closely.
According to the court, Reis “attached himself” to her, taking her to a nearby bench where he started to pet her.
He then led her into Palmerston Park and into the cover of some bushes.
The court noted that the victim was visibly intoxicated, having been sick less than an hour earlier, and was dressed in pajamas and a dressing gown.
Her impaired state made her particularly vulnerable during the assault.
The attack was only interrupted when a passer-by noticed suspicious behavior and saw the woman mouthing the word “help.” The bystander’s intervention prompted police to be called to the scene.
Officers quickly responded and arrested Reis at a nearby coach station, despite his efforts to alter his appearance in an attempt to evade detection.
Throughout the investigation, Reis denied any non-consensual activity.
Reis later pleaded guilty to the charge of rape on the second day of his trial.
During the proceedings, his defense lawyer, Francisca Da Costa, explained that Reis had moved to the UK approximately a year prior from East Timor in Southeast Asia.
She described him as a hardworking individual, employed in two jobs—one in a warehouse packing fish and another in a restaurant.
Ms.
Da Costa highlighted that Reis struggled to make friends due to language barriers, as he was among the few speakers of his native language in the UK.
She also mentioned that Reis remembered the woman kissing him on the lips and characterized the incident as “relatively short-lived.” She emphasized that her client takes full responsibility for his actions, describing the incident as “isolated and opportunistic.” However, Judge Christopher Parker KC was unequivocal in his assessment.
He pointed out that it was obvious the victim was intoxicated and incapable of caring for herself at the time of the assault.
The judge stated, “If she needed anything at all from you it would only have been help.
Instead, you took advantage of her.” He further remarked that the victim would likely require a significant amount of time to recover mentally from the ordeal.
The judge expressed concern that Reis posed a continued risk to others and indicated that, upon completion of his sentence, he would likely be deported from the UK.
In response to the case, Claire Shawley, Detective Inspector of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Operation Amberstone, acknowledged the profound and lasting effects of such crimes on victims.
She praised the victim’s courage in reporting the assault and cooperating with authorities.
Detective Constable Laura Cook, who led the investigation, also commended the public’s role in the case.
She expressed gratitude to the individual who intervened on the day of the assault and stayed with the victim until police arrived.
Cook emphasized that the police’s priority is to secure justice for victims, and she was pleased with the outcome, noting that Reis’s guilty plea and subsequent imprisonment serve as a step forward in helping the victim move past this traumatic event.
