A college principal who repeatedly raped one of his student's - threatening the 30 year-old African with deportation if she resisted - was caged for fifteen years today.
Businessman James Safo, 62, (pictured) "controlled, degraded and systematically sexually abused the victim," Croydon Crown Court was told.
"She was a student at your college studying for her NVQ and an employee at one of your care homes," Judge Simon Pratt told the first-time offender.
"Your course of conduct lasted eighteen months or so and involved you abusing your position as college principal and employer to force her to have private meetings so your sexual attacks could happen.
"You threatened to make life difficult for her with the Home Office by reporting she was in breach of her visa and liable to deportation from this country."
Safo was convicted after a six-week trial on four counts of rape, one attempted rape and one sexual assault between June, 2007 and December, 2008.
He was acquitted of sex attacks on two other employees and students and a similar complaint was dismissed in 2001.
The victim told police: "Images of what this man has done to me haunt me day and night."
She was pregnant during one of the rapes and later suffered a miscarriage.
Ghana-born qualified nurse Safo was even the victim's landlord - effectively controlling her life - and was guilty of "intimidation and coercion" said prosecutor Miss Hanna Llewellyn-Waters.
Safo, of Hayes Lane, Kenley, Croydon was the principal and owner of The Secretary College, South End, Croydon and owned nearby care homes Alexandra House, Alexandra Road, Addiscombe; Waratah House, Sanderstead Road, Sanderstead; The Warren, Coombe Road, Croydon and Heathland, Dorking.
"There cannot be a more serious abuse of power, it is a serious aggravating factor," Judge Pratt told Safo. "The rapes and attempted rape were violent.
"She described one rape as brutal and whether that rape caused her miscarriage is hard to say, but she will live the rest of her life believing it did.
"She will have to carry the burden of what you did to her for many years to come. This is one of the most serious cases of rape I have ever dealt with.
"It involved a betrayal of trust by an employee and college principal and a campaign of blackmail to keep her under control with threats you could have her deported.
"The offences rely in your desire for power over others as well as sexual gratification," added the Judge.
Safo will sign the sex offenders' register for life.
It was a shame that something like this nature has happened to Safo.I knew him from bubiashie in Accra, he was a nice and gentle man.I feel really sorry for him may we all pray for him,forgiveness so that when he come out of prison he turn into a good leaf.May GOd look after his family
ReplyDelete