AARON RAJI SENTENCED FOR RAPE IN DITTON NEAR MAIDSTONE

In February 2013, Aaron Raji, a man residing in Ditton near Maidstone, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl. The incident took place in Raji's home on Primrose Drive, where the victim was subjected to a brutal assault while she was vulnerable and intoxicated.

According to court proceedings, Raji exploited the girl’s intoxicated state after providing her and two other girls with alcohol, including beer, wine, vodka, and shots, with the intent of 'livening them up.' The girls had been brought to Raji’s residence by a friend in July of the previous year. During the evening, Raji behaved inappropriately, placing his arm around the victim and making flirtatious comments, including telling her she was 'gorgeous.' He also attempted to kiss one of the other girls present.

As the night progressed and the alcohol took effect, the victim became ill. It was at this point that Raji took her upstairs to the bathroom. Prosecutor Charlotte Newell described the disturbing events that followed: Raji put his hands down the back of the girl’s trousers while she was kneeling over the toilet, too weak and unwell to resist. The girl realized she was being sexually assaulted and tried to prevent her clothes from being removed by rolling onto her back. Despite her efforts, Raji pulled her trousers and knickers down to her knees and proceeded to have sex with her.

During the assault, Raji verbally abused the girl and had also pulled down his own trousers and underwear. The girl, overwhelmed and crying, turned over to be sick, but Raji continued his assault, having sex with her again while she was clearly in no condition to consent. Witnesses heard her being violently sick, with one describing her as 'whimpering, like the sound of a hungry cat.'

Raji later boasted about his intentions, claiming he and a friend would go out looking for sex, and that the friend had assured him sex was guaranteed on the night of the attack. The court heard that Raji’s behavior was driven by a desire to pursue sexual gratification regardless of the victim’s state or consent.

Judge David Griffith-Jones QC addressed Raji directly, stating that he was aware the girl was not consenting and that he was aware she was in no fit state to resist. The judge condemned Raji’s behavior as animalistic, emphasizing that he behaved without regard for her dignity or sensibilities, driven solely by primal instincts. The judge highlighted that Raji’s actions had devastating consequences for the victim, whose mother’s statement was read aloud in court. The statement described how the girl had become tearful, fragile, and withdrawn, dropping out of school despite previously making good progress.

Judge Griffith-Jones expressed his regret that such a young girl’s life had been so profoundly affected by Raji’s selfish actions, which he described as a moment of reckless sexual gratification at the expense of her well-being. He noted that Raji’s failure to plead guilty and his employment and academic pursuits did little to mitigate his culpability. The judge also pointed out that Raji did not wear a condom during the assault, adding an aggravating factor to his crime.

In conclusion, the judge sentenced Raji to seven years in prison, emphasizing that the verdict and sentence were intended to bring some measure of closure to the victim. While he did not categorize Raji as a dangerous offender, he acknowledged the severity of the attack, the abuse of trust involved, and the lasting trauma inflicted. Raji’s actions, the judge said, had completely derailed his life and caused irreparable harm to the young girl involved.