Edinburgh, May 20, 2008 - STV news can reveal that a Somalian man is facing a lengthy jail sentence after being found guilty of drugging and raping two women and attempting to rape two others. The conclusion of the trial was a rare example of a man being convicted of rape by a jury. Scotland's prosecution service has introduced specialized training for its staff in an attempt to win more convictions in similar cases.  

Rape cases are notoriously difficult to prove - but evidence gathered by police and prosecutors and the testimony of his victims convicted Abdalla Hemed. The 44-year-old drugged and raped two women in flats in Aberdeen and tried to rape two more at knifepoint. Hemed is awaiting sentence and will be deported to Somalia after his eventual release. He was caught after one of his victims summoned up the courage to go to the police.

Andy Imray

Detective Inspector Andy Imray from Grampian Police said: " Mr Hemed targetted a particularly vulnerable person and subjected them to a sexual ordeal which was reported to the police. Very brave indeed for the victim to come forward. It's obviously a very difficult thing to have to relive in front of strangers."

The case has been cited as proof that rapists can be found guilty after standing trial - an all too rare occurrence in Scottish courts.  

Scene of the rapes

Staff from the prosecution service are receiving specialized training in an attempt to improve Scotland's conviction rate in rape cases, one of the worst in Europe.   

Andrew McIntyre, senior prosecutor at the Crown Office said: "The target is that by the summer of next year, only people who have had that training and who have been approved by the prosecution service as specialists, will investigate these cases."

Scotland 's top law officer calls it a sea change in their approach to rape - but she will not make any predictions on what will happen to the conviction rate. Elish Angiolini says public attitudes will have to change as well. She said: "If you're sitting in the back of a taxi and you see a girl going down the road with a mini-skirt on and a bikini top barely covering her chest, the reaction I know from my own mother would be my goodness, that girl's going to get into trouble, well no, she shouldn't be getting into trouble."  

Next month the Scottish government will publish a bill which will change some of the laws on rape. A great deal of work is being done on this area and there are signs things are improving, with a number of high-profile convictions in the courts in recent months.

Source: STV.tv, May 20, 2008