Jailed after raping and assaulting a woman in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre.

Man Jailed for Rape and Assault Near West Quay Shopping Centre

Krystian Kwarta, 20, of Keyhaven Road, Milford-on-Sea, has been sentenced to eight years in prison with an additional four years on licence for raping and assaulting a 21-year-old woman in the perimeter of West Quay shopping centre in Southampton.

The attack occurred on Saturday, February 15, as the victim was walking to work. Kwarta, unknown to the victim, grabbed her from behind and raped her. Southampton police launched an investigation immediately, analyzing extensive CCTV footage from the West Quay retail park area.

CCTV footage revealed that Kwarta had been following the victim towards the shopping centre shortly before 8 am. He then violently attacked and raped her. Through further analysis of CCTV footage, officers were able to identify Kwarta and trace him to his home in Milford-on-Sea.

Kwarta was arrested and taken to Southampton Central police station for questioning. His DNA was confirmed to match the DNA evidence found at the scene. He was subsequently charged with two counts of rape and one count of assault on February 18.

On March 20, Kwarta pleaded guilty to the charges at Southampton Crown Court. He was sentenced today to eight years in prison with an additional four years on licence.

Detective Sergeant Claire Ratcliffe, Deputy Senior Investigating Officer, stated: "This was a premeditated, violent attack on a young woman who was on her way to work. It was clear that Kwarta had been waiting in the area before seeing his victim and following her to carry out his brutal attack."

"Following a fast-paced investigation by Southampton's Operation Amberstone team, which demonstrates our commitment to finding dangerous offenders in the community and ensuring justice for the victim, Kwarta was arrested and charged within days of his brutal crime. The forensic evidence and CCTV footage left Kwarta with little choice but to enter guilty pleas, and I am pleased that we have been able to bring him to justice and avoid the victim having to relive her ordeal in court."

"This has understandably been a traumatic time for the victim, and I commend her for her bravery and courage in coming forward and reporting what happened. I hope that today's sentence will give her some closure and help her to begin moving forward in her life."

"In cases such as these, we work in partnership with the Independent Sexual Violence Advocate Service, Yellow Door, to ensure adequate support is available to victims throughout investigations. We hope that the strength of this partnership working alongside convictions like this, encourages victims to come forward and report their experiences to us."