A man has been jailed after attempting to rape an unconscious woman at a bar in the City of London.
Rizwan Afzal, 52, has been sentenced to six years and five months in prison following the sexual assault which occurred at the start of this year.
According to City of London police, the attack took place in the early hours of the morning on February 27, 2024.
The assailant reportedly carried out the sexual assault inside the closed license premises while the victim was unconscious.
Officers haven’t publicly identified the name of the bar where the attack occurred.
The woman involved in the incident reported the attempted rape to local police in April 2024, over a month after the attack took place.
City of London police officers swiftly launched an investigation and were able to gain access to CCTV footage, which revealed the extent of Afzal’s attack in late February.
According to the police report, investigators were able to identify and locate Afzal via information linked to a phone number shared with police.
Afzal was arrested in late April in connection with the attack, and he subsequently pleaded guilty to attempted rape, sexual assault and an attempt to cause a woman to engage in a penetrative sexual activity.
Following Afzal’s sentencing, Detective Constable Olivia Hall from the Public Protection Unit at the City of London Police, praised the victim for coming forward and encouraged all victims to report such crimes to the police.
Ms Hall affirmed that London’s police take every report of rape and sexual assault seriously, regardless of the amount of time that has passed since the attack.
“I would like to praise the bravery and courage shown by the victim in reporting to the police and throughout the investigation,” she said in a statement.
“We are committed in tackling violence against women and girls, and we take all reports of rape and sexual assault seriously and encourage victims to report their experience to police, no matter the length of time that has passed.
Ms Hall affirmed: “We will believe you, listen and support you throughout every step of the investigation and do everything we can to bring the offender to justice.”
People that wish to report a case of rape or any sort of sexual assault, are encouraged to contact the police on 101, where they can speak to trained officers about the incident. In the case of emergency, the first number you should always call is 999.
“Even if you’re not 100 per cent sure, we’d sooner hear from you so that we can make sure you’re safe,” said the City of London police.
City of London police also give people the option to confidentially report a crime online, where you’ll be prompted to answer a series of questions linked to the incident.
Online reports take around 15 minutes to complete, and people can expect a response from the City of London police within 48 hours of submitting the online form.
If you’re looking for more support, or aren’t ready to approach the police just yet, there are alternative support networks available to people who have been victim of a sexual assault.
A list of links to organisations and charities that can support people at this time can be found here.
