Court upheld seven-year sentence for rape of girl in Ostrava, convicted man made threats in courtroom
The Olomouc High Court upheld a seven-year prison sentence for a fifty-two-year-old man who raped an intoxicated nineteen-year-old woman in Ostrava in October 2024. After the ruling was announced, he shouted threats at the victim's representative.
Court upheld seven-year sentence for rape of girl in Ostrava, convicted man made threats in courtroom
The Olomouc High Court on Wednesday upheld the original verdict in which the Regional Court in Ostrava sentenced fifty-two-year-old Roman Michel to seven years in prison for rape. The crime occurred on 5 October 2024 in Ostrava. The defendant noticed the young woman getting out of a taxi early in the morning after a social event. The girl was under the influence of alcohol, could not keep her balance and was unable to unlock the entrance door.
Michel approached her, began harassing her, then forced her into his car and drove her to an unknown location, where he raped her. When he finished, he asked her whether he should take her somewhere and remarked that she should be grateful. He dropped her off in Ostrava and drove away. He did so whilst driving despite a valid driving ban.
The victim suffered post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident, the effects of which she continues to feel. She is troubled by difficulties forming relationships and nightmares. After the incident, she no longer felt safe in the Czech Republic and went to live abroad amongst fairground operators.
Before the ruling was announced, the man defended himself in court by claiming he was innocent and that the victim's only interest was financial gain. He admitted that he had been committing offences since the age of fifteen, but rejected being labelled a sexual predator. He requested acquittal or that the case be sent back for further evidence gathering. He objected to inconsistencies in the girl's testimony and alleged procedural irregularities by the regional court.
The chair of the panel, Roman Raab, rejected these arguments. According to him, the victim's testimony is coherent on key points and further evidence clearly proves the perpetrator's guilt. He described the composition of the panel as proper.
After the sentence was read out, Michel lost control of himself. When he saw that the victim's legal representative reached for her mobile phone, he began shouting at her whether she was satisfied that he had received seven years, and unleashed vulgar death threats against both her and the victim. The representative immediately requested that it be recorded in the minutes. The chair of the panel promised to check the audio recording. Because the convicted man continued the aggression, the judge suspended the proceedings.
Michel must pay the girl 400 thousand crowns as non-pecuniary damages. For the crimes committed, he faced up to eighteen years imprisonment.
Source: Novinky.cz