UK: Indian-origin man jailed for nearly 7 yrs for raping a drunk woman at his flat 

An Indian-origin man has been sentenced to six years and nine months' imprisonment in the UK for raping a woman in Cardiff, the capital and largest city of Wales. Preet Vikal carried the victim in his arms and later across his shoulders in Cardiff city centre in the early hours of June 4 last year and raped her. His movement was caught on CCTV camera.

The CCTV footage and an Instagram message exchange between him and the victim led to Vikal's identification and arrest by South Wales Police. He was sentenced this week and has been directed to serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody and the remainder on licence, or under strict parole conditions.

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South Wales Police's Detective Constable Nick Woodland said stranger attacks such as this were extremely unusual in Cardiff but in Preet Vikal, the cops had a dangerous individual. "He took advantage of an intoxicated and vulnerable young woman who became separated from her friends. From the minute this was reported, we were absolutely 100 per cent committed to identifying the person responsible and bringing him to justice," Woodland said.
   
The victim told the court that she was left shaken, unable to sleep, and feeling a sense of guilt as a result of the attack. Vikal came across the woman while she was on a night out with friends in Cardiff, the police said.

The woman began to walk home from The Friary area in the city centre with friends. But later she was seen in CCTV footage being carried by Vikal on King Edward VII Avenue and North Road. The police established that Vikal continued to carry her to a property in the North Road area where she was raped.

Woodland said enquires revealed inconsistencies with the accounts provided by the defendant, and it was this, along with the continued bravery of the victim, that ultimately led to him pleading guilty. "We hope the sentencing brings some sense of closure and allows the woman to regain her confidence and move on with her life,” he said.

South Wales Police also issued a statement to highlight that it takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urged victims to come forward to report it, regardless of when it happened.

(With inputs from PTI)