Fazli Qadeer, 25, who was studying in Bristol on a student visa, carried out a sustained sexual attack on a vulnerable, bedbound woman he was employed to care for, then falsely claimed to jurors that she had assaulted him.
A carer from Pakistan has been jailed for 12 years after being convicted of raping a bedbound woman in her own home while working a care shift. Fazli Qadeer, 25, from Peshawar, had moved to Bristol on a student visa to attend university, following his brother, and was working as a carer at the time of the attack. Bristol Crown Court heard that Qadeer denied the rape throughout his trial and instead attempted to persuade the jury that the woman, described as “extremely vulnerable,” had sexually assaulted him.
Attack took place during care shift
The court heard that Qadeer exploited a period when the family of the older woman receiving care were away, attending her home during a shift, climbing onto her bed and telling her he “loved her” and “wanted to marry her.” He went on to kiss her on the lips, touch her breasts, and carry out a sustained sexual attack that included oral rape. Despite the evidence presented at trial, Qadeer maintained his innocence and sought to portray himself as the victim of the encounter.
Following the trial, a jury at Bristol Crown Court found Qadeer, of Mayfield Park, Bristol, guilty of rape, and he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Mitigation cited cultural background
Speaking in mitigation at the sentencing hearing, defence barrister Jemima Lovatt told the court that the victim had treated Qadeer with “friendliness,” and suggested his “cultural background meant he didn’t understand those manners and behaviours.” She asked the court to take into account his “background and cultural upbringing” in order “to understand how this offending came about.”
Ms Lovatt said Qadeer had written a letter of apology since his conviction, in which he described “growing up in difficult circumstances around a lot of violence and a culture of fear.” She added that, since being convicted, Qadeer had begun disclosing to his family that he himself had been a victim of rape as a child.
Victim describes lasting trauma
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she had suffered “severe nightmares” and was unable to sleep since the attack. She said she had become frightened by ordinary noises and lived in fear that her attacker would return to kill her, and had found herself questioning male friends she had known for years. She said she had been prescribed diazepam to manage stress caused by the assault, and told the court Qadeer had “taken away my freedom.” She added: “We still don’t know if he did it to anyone else before but I know I have stopped it from happening again.”
Judge questions his motive
Sentencing Qadeer, Recorder Sarah Regan told him he was of “previous good character” and said it was “difficult to fathom your motive for this attack other than to consider that you did it just because you could.” She noted that a number of character references submitted to the court described his charitable work and efforts to “make life better for many.”
Restraining order and immigration review
Qadeer is now subject to a restraining order preventing any contact with his victim. The Home Office is expected to review his immigration status once he has served his sentence.
