Man found guilty of raping 19-year-old woman in Portsmouth

An 18-year-old man from London has today been found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman in Buckland in September.

The victim, now 20, was raped by a man unknown to her at approximately 12.30am on Sunday 20 September 2020.

The woman was approached by two men on Lake Road, who followed her onto Turner Road where one of them then raped her.

After a thorough and complex investigation by officers from Portsmouth’s Amberstone team, Abdelarahman Saleh Adam, of Gathorne Road, Wood Green, was charged with rape.

Adam denied the offence, however a jury sitting at Portsmouth Crown Court found him guilty this afternoon (Friday 4 June).

He will be sentenced at Portsmouth Crown Court on Friday 23 July.

Two 18-year-old men, four 17-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy were all previously arrested on suspicion of rape in connection with this case and were released without charge, facing no further action.

We would like to commend the victim on her bravery and courage, which has helped secure this verdict today.

Stranger assaults of this nature are rare, and we hope the community feels reassured that when we receive these sorts of allegations, we will take them seriously and do everything in our power to bring those responsible to justice.

We encourage anyone who has been the victim of a sexual offence to contact us on 101 and speak with an officer in confidence.

You can find out more about the support available to victims of sexual offences here: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/