Portsmouth man found guilty of raping woman he met on a dating site at her home

Erol Barjami, 43, of Howard Road, Hilsea, Portsmouth, has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting a 47-year-old female. The offence happened at the victim’s address on the evening of January 20, 2023.

Barjami pleaded not guilty but the jury delivered the verdict yesterday following a three day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court. The victim said she was raped that evening after speaking to the 43-year-old on a dating app.

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Barjami has been remanded in custody and will appear before Winchester Crown Court for sentencing on Tuesday, September 5.

Detective Constable Emily Dummer, who led the investigation, said: ‘We are pleased with this result from court today, and I would like to commend the victim for her bravery throughout the investigation and trial. I would like to thank her for having the courage to report this to us, as without her support we would not have secured this outcome today.

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‘I hope that this result reassures our community that we take these allegations very seriously, and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice. We want to reassure anyone who reports incidents of serious sexual assault and rape to us that they will be believed, and they will be offered specialist support and provided with a specially trained officer.’

Victims of rape or sexual assault can make reports via the police website, or by calling 101. Police said they would support anyone whether they are ready to report anything, or if they would prefer to speak to a support organisation.

More information can be found here.