Judge Avik Mukerjee said the perpetrators “humiliated” and “degraded” the victim who could not speak English and looked for help before her vulnerability was used against her
A twisted church assistant abducted and raped a lost woman before offering the victim to his friend.
Fabrice Mpata raped the victim, who could not speak English, after she asked for help in Birmingham. After he attacked her, in spite of her pleading with him to stop, he took her to Rigobert Ngambe’s home to exploit her further, a court has heard.
There was a “significant degree of planning” as the men shared lengthy telephone conversations in between. They ultimately “negotiated” to return the woman to her family before they “vanished themselves”. She was able to flag down a taxi driver who then took her to a hospital.
Both men were described as “dangerous” at Birmingham Crown Court where they were jailed for 16 years each on Friday, April 12, BirminghamLive reported. Mpata, of Berry Road, Saltley, was found guilty of two charges of rape following a trial and handed a three-year extended licence period. Ngambe, of Aldgate Grove, Hockley, was found guilty of one rape charge and received a two-year extended licence period.
According to the Office for National Statistics, in the year ending March 2022 an estimated 798,000 women were victims of sexual assault – including attempts. It added some 16.6 per cent of all UK adults aged 16 years and over had experienced sexual assault.
“She was a lady when you came across her who spoke extremely limited if any English at all. She is not a UK citizen,” Judge Avik Mukerjee said. “She was stranded in Birmingham, lost and alone and what happened to her over the next few hours, and it was many hours, was that between you you humiliated her, degraded her and used her vulnerability against her.
“She needed help from Mr Mpata. She couldn’t find her way back to her sister-in-law’s. She asked you for help. Why did she ask you? Well, she was desperate, she saw you as an African man who maybe would be sympathetic towards her, maybe feel you could relate to her.
“She trusted you to help her and what you did was the utter contrary of that. What you did rather than helping her was to help yourself and ultimately your co-accused.”
He continued: “What you did was to satisfy your sexual needs to rape her and what you did was exploit her vulnerability. You promised to take her home. You didn’t take her home, you took her to a friend’s house where you raped her. She was crying and she repeatedly asked you not to and was saying ‘no’ while you were raping her.
“Then you took her to another friend’s house, Mr Ngambe’s, who I’m satisfied knew that you had raped her and knew you were taking her to his house so he could rape her, and indeed Mr Ngambe you did.”
Judge Mukherjee added: “You Mr Mpata left her with your co-accused. You facilitated the rape by him of her which took place while you were absent. You Mr Ngambe, she was stripped naked, crying and you raped her despite her pleas not do so. You didn’t wear protection and that would prove to be your undoing because you left your DNA.”
Mpata and Ngambe both cynically claimed the victim instigated consensual sex with them. Donal McGuire, defending Mpata, said he had a “very troubled background” due to his mother being murdered.
He stated he has obtained qualifications and worked hard after coming to the UK as well as supporting his local African French speaking community and the church. Mr McGuire added: “This was one day in a life that has otherwise benefitted his community. It is difficult to imagine more positive references. It is not his character and his past behaviour.”
Tom Kenning, for Ngambe, stated the father-of-two was also known as hard-working and supportive by those who knew him. He added he had completed a course while in prison. Judge Mukherjee stated the defendants’ actions were more “concerning” given how “unpredictable” they were based on their lives up until now, as he confirmed both as dangerous as defined by the law.”
