'Dangerous' sex offender who preyed on women banned from park

A "dangerous and predatory" sex offender who preyed on women was banned from a Liverpool park.

Theo Raphael, of Picton Road, Wavertree, sexually assaulted two women just over a week apart. The 18-year-old appeared at Liverpool Magistrates' Court today, Tuesday May 7, where he was handed 18 months in prison and was banned from entering Mystery Park in Wavertree indefinitely.

The first incident took place at around 6.30pm on December 20 last year on Crosfield Road in Edge Hill. Raphael sexually assaulted a woman in her 60s and as she fell to the ground, a car stopped in the road and Raphael ran off.

The second incident occurred at around 7pm on December 28, on the footpath near to Liverpool Tennis Centre, off Picton Road in Wavertree. A woman in her 40s was walking her dog when Raphael pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her.

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Merseyside Police said following an extensive investigation, including CCTV appeals, Raphael was arrested in early January and charged with attempted rape and two counts of sexual assault. He pleaded guilty to the offences. He has since turned 18 which means he can now be named.

Raphael was jailed for 18 months and issued with a five year sexual harm prevention order. He was also given a restraining order against his two victims.

Following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Ashley O'Hare said: “Raphael is an extremely dangerous and predatory offender, reflected in the sentence given to him today. His crimes have caused a huge amount of suffering for his victims and their loved ones.

“I would like to take this opportunity to praise the bravery and strength of both of his victims, throughout this investigation and the court process. Although no sentence can take away the devastating impact of what happened last December, we hope that this outcome does at least provide some sense of closure and of justice having been served, as they continue their recovery.

“These incidents caused understandable concern across our communities, and I want to assure people that when such serious crimes take place, we will always investigate thoroughly and with care and compassion. If anyone who has suffered a sexual offence and can find the courage to come forward and speak to us, we will support you every step of the way, either directly or through other specialist support services.”

You can report a sexual offence by calling 101 where specially trained officers will talk you through the process. You can also pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

Victims can also access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.

These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.

You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.

With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.

Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.

If you do not require immediate police assistance then you can report rape and sexual assault via our website here. Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service: Home: Victim Care Merseyside on 0808 175 3080.

For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service https://www.police.uk/pu/notices/streetsafe/street-safe/ for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused. Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.

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