A 45-year-old man was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for raping a student in Bristol.
Mohsen Gheibi, of Stapleton Road in Easton, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison on Friday (10 June) at Bristol Crown Court after being found guilty of raping the woman, then 19, in May 2019.
The court heard how Gheibi accompanied the victim to her home, followed her to her bedroom, and raped her.
The victim, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, noticed Gheibi walking alongside her, and when she returned home and he followed her inside, she became ‘frozen in fear’ and ‘out of control.’
The victim shared her story in the hope that it would inspire other victims of sexual assault and rape to come forward as well.
“The dreams I held where I felt like I could do anything, were now replaced with an embodiment of shame, disgust, and hatred for myself,” she said in a victim statement read to the court. I was numb, frozen in time as the world passed by.
“I put my life on hold for three years in order to obtain justice.” I’m not the same person I used to be. I had to fight for my life, reshape it, and rebuild myself from the ground up.”
“I hope no one goes through what I go through because I know I am lucky to be alive today,” she said at the end of her statement.
Because she “wasn’t sure anyone would believe her,” the victim waited four days before reporting the rape to police.
Officers were able to identify Gheibi after he came forward, and he was arrested six days later.
“Gheibi took advantage of a vulnerable 19-year-old woman late at night and showed no remorse for his actions,” Detective Constable Katrina Collier said. His actions have clearly devastated the victim’s life over the last three years, and we hope that this sentence provides her with the justice she so rightfully deserves.
She has demonstrated tremendous courage and strength in coming forward and speaking out about the crime and the impact it has had on her life since that night.
“Coming forward and reporting rape and sexual assault is extremely difficult for victims, but we urge anyone who has been subjected to these terrible crimes to speak up; we will believe you and support you throughout the process.”
Please call Police on 101 if you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, no matter how long ago it occurred.
