Eight years have been imposed on a man who sexually assaulted a lady in Bristol last summer. After luring a woman to a remote location, Yonas Gebreysus sexually assaulted her and took her phone.
The 32-year-old did not know the woman, but on Sunday, June 4, 2023, about 11.30 p.m., they happened to cross paths in Lamb Street. After telling the jury, they started talking, but the man led her into a remote spot and sexually assaulted her there.
Then, in order to keep her from contacting the police or anybody else she knew right away for assistance, he took her phone. After a trial in May, Gebreysus was found guilty; he was imprisoned at Bristol Crown Court today, Thursday, July 4, however he denied both offences
Before Gebreysus is deemed eligible for release on a licence, he must complete at least two-thirds of his eight-year sentence. Along with his prison term, his information will be added to the sex offenders’ registry.
The woman who is entitled to lifetime anonymity wrote a victim’s statement, which was read aloud in court. “I didn’t do anything wrong,” she declared. In a metropolis, a woman ought to be free to be by herself without fear for her safety.
“Even though what occurred to me was not my fault, I still feel guilty and ashamed about it. I have no idea what I did to deserve this person’s treatment of me. I no longer have a social life as I once did.
“I’ve given up drinking because I want to be completely conscious of my life, in charge of what happens to me, and able to take care of my friends. I make sure to return home by 8 p.m. every night and no longer go out after that. As I already mentioned, I no longer have a social life; all I seem to do these days is go to work and return home.”
She said that her family had also been significantly impacted by the crime. “I wish this had never happened, my entire life has been turned upside down, and I now have to live with,” the victim continued.
“I just want to be able to get on with my life as a normal person, I don’t want to feel guilt or shame about what happened to me, I want to stop feeling scared, I want everything to go back to as it was before I was attacked, it wasn’t my fault what happened to me and I just want to be able to get on with my life. I’m not going to let what happened to me ruin my life.”
Judge Moira Macmillan expressed her admiration for the victim for refusing to let what happened define her. Acting Detective Sergeant Alastair Lea said: “I would like to commend the woman in this case, who has shown great courage throughout the course of our investigation and the trial process.
“She is 100% correct when she claims that she had nothing to do with this. We hope that the end of the judicial processes today will be beneficial to her, as she has shown great bravery in discussing the impact this horrific event has had on her life.
“The only person who ought to experience shame or guilt for committing a sexual offence is the offender. Yonas Gebreysus, however, refused to recognise what he did, thus she was forced to repeat the events in court. Late at night, Gebreysus purposefully sought her out and set up an environment that would make her more vulnerable to his predatory sexual assault.
“When she says she had nothing to do with anything, she is absolutely right. She has showed incredible fortitude in talking about the effects this awful occurrence has had on her life, therefore we hope that the closure of the legal proceedings today will be helpful to her.
“The offender is the only one who should feel guilty or ashamed about committing a sexual offence. But Yonas Gebreysus refused to acknowledge his actions, thus she was compelled to recount the incidents in court. Gebreysus deliberately sought her out late at night, creating an atmosphere that would increase her susceptibility to his predatory sexual assault.
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