VINIT LALA, CHILD RAPIST, SENTENCED IN LEICESTER AFTER INTERVENTION BY PASSERS-BY
In March 2014, Vinit Lala, a 48-year-old man from Leicester, was sentenced to nine years in prison after being caught attempting to abuse a 13-year-old girl.The incident unfolded on Martin Street, Belgrave, where passers-by saw Lala sitting partially undressed in his car with the girl, who was dressed in her school uniform.
Reacting quickly, the bystanders pulled Lala, a married father of two residing on Harrison Road nearby, out of the vehicle to prevent further harm.
Judge Richard Brown at Leicester Crown Court commended the witnesses, stating, “It’s a great credit to them for bringing this abuse to an end.” During his arrest, Lala initially denied any wrongdoing and accused the girl of setting him up.
However, he later admitted to multiple charges, including one count of rape, attempted rape, sexual activity with a child, and kissing and touching the girl earlier that summer.
Prosecutor James Varley recounted the events, explaining, “On October 15 last year, passers-by saw a man and a woman in the car.
They went to rescue her.
She was wearing school uniform.
He was immediately saying, ‘I’m sorry.
Don’t call the police’.” The court heard that Lala had used coercion, threats, blackmail, and emotional manipulation to groom the girl, who was vulnerable and experiencing a difficult period in her life.
Mr.
Varley stated, “She was vulnerable and at a difficult time in her life and he’d been able to use that time to groom her.
There would be threats to tell other people what she’d done to embarrass her.
He would say, ‘You’ll get in trouble, not me.’ She is a very young and naive 13-year-old girl with no previous sexual experience.
She says she will hope to one day forget about what happened to her.” Lala’s legal representative, Matthew Smith, expressed that Lala wished to address his behavior and emphasized that his guilty plea was the only mitigation.
Judge Brown emphasized the seriousness of the offenses, noting, “It’s because on October 15 passers-by saw what was happening in your car and intervened.” He acknowledged the absence of physical injuries but highlighted the long-lasting psychological harm experienced by the victim.
The judge described the presence of coercion and threats as aggravating factors.
As part of his sentence, Lala was also subject to a restraining order to protect the girl and a sexual offenders prevention order which prohibits him from having any unsupervised contact with underage girls.
Both orders are to last indefinitely.
