Rapist did not see acts were wrong

A young woman kicked, punched and dug her fingernails into an attacker as she tried to fight him off, a court has heard.

She had rejected Joseph John’s attempts to kiss her, saying she had a girlfriend and did not want to cheat on her but John, 23, forced himself on her, Justice Susan Thomas said in the High Court at Wellington yesterday.

The 18-year-old victim managed to escape when John let her answer her ringing phone, and she grabbed the phone, kicked him in the head and ran.

She had met John a couple of times and they had been intending to see a movie together on May 26, 2016. The planned movie fell through but they drank in his car and ended up at an Upper Hutt carpark, where he attacked her.

She spoke to police but did not immediately make a formal statement.

Police had already contacted John about the first rape when he committed the second attack.

The next victim was a drunk 16-year-old he passed while riding his bicycle in the early hours of February 21, 2017, in suburban Hutt Valley.

He stopped to talk to her and then committed one indecency before raping her, holding his hands over her nose and mouth so she had trouble breathing.

John was sentenced to a total of 111⁄2 years in jail. He has to serve at least six years before he will be considered for parole.

A statement from the second victim was read in court by a victims’ assistant. She described being so traumatised she wanted to kill herself and was medicated and hospitalised after the attack.

She had nightmares and was embarrassed at being prescribed anti-depressants.

For a long time she blamed herself for having been drunk, and felt stupid because she could not defend herself as her brother taught her.

The statement said the court process was an ordeal. She threw up before giving evidence and during one break she ran out and wanted to give up but was pleased she was persuaded to finish it.

It had made her a stronger, wiser person, and she knew she had to look after herself better, the statement said.

Prosecutor Sally Carter said specialist medical reports on John thought he could be a high risk of reoffending because he did not recognise he did anything wrong, but treatment could change that.

His lawyer, Mike Antunovic, said John wanted to take any treatment that was offered, and said he was sorry.

A jury found John guilty of raping the first young woman, and sexually violating and then raping the second.

The judge said John came to New Zealand as a refugee from Uganda when he was a child. He had no previous convictions.

A psychologist commented on his conservative beliefs that women should not dress provocatively or walk home alone.