A woman who was sexually assaulted by a man she met on a dating app wrote to him to tell him that she doesn’t hate him, despite feeling ’empty’ and ‘unsafe’ after the incident.
On March 21 of this year, the 25-year-old was the target of Ryan Mulhern‘s 41-year-old attack, which she referred to as a “tragedy that could have been avoided.”
After confessing to both rape and attempted rape, he has been behind bars for almost nine years.
The victim was found crying by a passerby in Highgate, north London, telling them she had just been raped.
She later told police she had gone to Mulhern’s home where he repeatedly raped her, despite her pleading with him to stop.
A man hunt was launched before he was arrested in Islington, north London, on March 22.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, wrote to her attacker in a victim impact statement read aloud at Snaresbrook Crown Court, where Mulhern was sentenced to eight years and nine months behind bars on Friday.
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She told him: ‘I reported you because it was the right thing to do.
‘Even now, I do not feel hatred towards you and am saddened that we are in such a situation.
‘However, I hate that your actions have made me feel unsafe, empty, and unworthy of others’ respect.
‘I have to deal with the impact of your violence for the foreseeable future.
‘This rape is a tragedy that could have and should have been avoided.
‘Even if you struggle to feel remorse towards me, I hope you can understand the hurt you have caused to the ones closest to you and yourself.’
Speaking after the sentence was passed, Detective Sergeant Sam Lockstone, who led the investigation, said: ‘I hope the significant sentence handed down encourages other victims of rape to come forward, and brings the rape survivor in this case a sense of closure and justice.
‘Arresting, charging and seeing Mulhern jailed within just three months of the incident shows the dedication and commitment our teams have in pursuing justice for these horrific offences.’