Jailed: Rapist who attacked victim hours after major surgery, leaving her in 'excruciating pain'

A rapist who attacked a woman just hours after she underwent an operation has been jailed for 13 years.

Ghulam Mustapha, of Fishponds, Bristol, was convicted of two counts of rape by a jury following a trial at Bristol Crown Court.

The 48-year-old assaulted his victim in October last year knowing she had undergone surgery earlier that day.

After the attacks, the woman required hospital treatment having experienced what she described as excruciating pain.

In a statement read out in court, Mustapha's victim told how he had “destroyed” her life and that she now “suffers with flashbacks and panic attacks”.

Sentencing Mustapha, Judge Ambrose said the victim had been left with “terrible effects” from the incidents.

Investigating officer DC James Claridge said: “Mustapha put his own sexual desires above the welfare of his victim, forcing himself on her despite knowing she was recovering from a major operation.

“As well as the physical pain he caused, he also inflicted significant emotional trauma on her which she is still coming to terms with.

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“We continue to provide her with access to specialist support services and hope today’s sentence brings her some comfort.”

He added “I’d like to commend Mustapha’s victim for the courage she’s shown throughout the criminal justice process – all police officers fully appreciate it can be often difficult for victims of sexual offences to report them and to give evidence at court and she has been extremely brave in doing so.”

In June the UK government published its 'end to end' rape review, promising to do more to improve conviction levels in England and Wales.

There are an estimated 128,000 victims of rape a year, with women significantly more likely to be affected. Less than 20% of victims of rape report to the police, and in the year to December 2020, just 1.6% of reported rapes resulted in someone being charged.

The government's 'end-to-end' rape review was launched in March 2019 to look at survivors’ experiences of the criminal justice system from one ‘end’ to another, starting with alleged crimes being reported to the police and ending with what happens in court.

In the report, home secretary Priti Patel, justice secretary Robert Buckland and attorney general Michael Ellis wrote they were “deeply ashamed” of how rape cases are currently handled in England and Wales.

Boris Johnson also apologised to victims for the trauma and delays they have faced in securing justice.

Labour frontbencher Jess Phillips attacked the government over the “weak” review, saying 100,000 victims had come forward in the time it took for it to be written.

Watch: Boris Johnson apologised to rape victims