Man who kidnapped and raped ex-wife in hidden 'dungeon' jailed for 13 years

The man cut off the victim's clothes and raped her twice before leaving her alone in the dungeon

A man was jailed for 13 years for kidnapping his ex-wife, tying her up and raping her in a hidden "dungeon", reported The Independent.

His ex-wife had arranged a meeting with him so she could take her granddaughter out.

However, once she arrived at the premises in Hackney he sprayed her with a substance called mace which that  left her unconscious and then proceeded to tie her hands, feet and mouth before he carried her into a concealed office room through which he dropped her into the dungeon.



The man, who's name has been kept anonymous, cut off the victim's clothes and raped her twice before leaving her alone in the dungeon. However, the victim managed to get free and called 999 for help.

The call from the incident, which took place in October 2014, was played at the Snaresbrook Crown court.

Officers had arrived at the location after receiving the call and could hear the victim's screams coming from the concealed dungeon, which they eventually accessed through a hatch hidden within the base of a wardrobe.

Police officers believe that she was under great pressure from her family to withdraw allegations against her ex-husband, but in this rare case the trial went ahead without her testimony.

The man was eventually found guilty on two accounts of rape, kidnap and false imprisonment.



"It's important to note that the victim in this case was fully engaged throughout the police investigation but at the point of the original trial, felt unable to attend," Inspector Neil Rawlinson of the Metropolitan Police said.

"Due to the overwhelming evidence gathered by my officers, which supported all aspects of the victim’s account, the CPS agreed to proceed with the trial without the victim — something which is extremely rare for rape," he added.

Neil further said offenders often exerted power and control to silence their victims but this sentence showed that scarred victims could be given a voice and the offenders brought to justice despite their perceived power.

"I would urge anyone who has been the victim of sexual assault to report it to police — we can provide specially trained officers to support victims and obtain the best evidence possible."