A rapist who repeatedly changed his story and tried to blame relatives for attacking a woman after she left a Southampton nightclub has been jailed for 10 years following a DNA match made more than two years after the assault.
Musafar Hotak, 25, was sentenced at Southampton Crown Court after being found guilty of raping a woman in her 20s on 12 July 2022. The DNA was matched to Hotak when he was being investigated for other criminal matters more than two years later.
The victim had become separated from friends during a night out and was under the influence of alcohol in a vulnerable state when Hotak approached her in a nearby park. CCTV footage captured him leading the woman away from the city centre to a family member’s flat where he was staying at the time.
He raped her despite her repeatedly telling him to stop in a violent and terrifying assault. The victim managed to escape the flat moments after the attack and was able to seek help from a passer-by before calling 999. She was then taken to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre where forensic swabs were obtained.
Hotak initially claimed he was not the man seen in CCTV footage and tried to blame members of his family for the attack. Investigators ruled out everyone else he named. He later admitted it was him in the footage and accepted the DNA as his before changing his defence entirely, later claiming he had consensual sex with the victim.
Elizabeth Medland, of the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: “This was a terrifying and traumatic attack on a young woman who was only trying to get home safely after a night out with friends. Musafar Hotak exploited her, ignored her protests, and violated her when she was unable to protect herself.”
She added: “My thoughts are with the victim in this case, whose powerful witness testimony was instrumental in securing a conviction. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of Hotak’s crimes and sends a clear message that the CPS will work tirelessly to prosecute rapists who prey on women.”
Prosecutors reviewed a file of evidence including a powerful victim impact statement, CCTV and other eyewitness accounts to prove the assault was not consensual. Hotak, of Southampton, was found guilty of one count of rape contrary to section 1 (1) of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 and one count of assault by penetration contrary to section 2 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003.
