GIOVANNI COCOZZA, CONVICTED RAPIST IN GLASGOW, DIES IN HOSPITAL

In March 2011, Giovanni Cocozza, a 78-year-old man who was serving a 10-year sentence after admitting to multiple sexual offenses, passed away in hospital. Cocozza, a former ice cream van owner from Low Waters Road, was transported from his cell at Glenochil Prison in Alloa, Clackmannanshire, on a Sunday afternoon after falling unwell. He had been convicted of raping a woman and a teenage girl, as well as abusing five other young girls between 1964 and 1976, with the crimes occurring across Glasgow, Lanarkshire, and Ayrshire.

He suffered from chronic kidney disease and heart problems, and a Scottish Prison Service spokeswoman stated, "There were no suspicious circumstances, and he is understood to have died from natural causes." Police and next of kin had been notified, and a fatal accident inquiry will be conducted in due course.

Cocozza’s criminal activities came to light after one of his victims reported the abuse in 2007. During sentencing, Judge Michael O’Grady QC described Cocozza’s actions as inflicting "pain, hurt and abuse of the worst kind" on his victims. The judge remarked, "You have pled guilty to an appalling course of conduct sustained over more than a decade. You have stolen their childhoods and have blighted their lives — it is difficult to imagine their ordeal. Sadly, no sentence I can impose can change that. All I can do is impose a sentence that reflects society’s revulsion of these type of crimes."

In October 2009, a woman who was sexually abused by Cocozza, known only as a rape victim for legal reasons, spoke publicly for the first time about her harrowing experience. She described Cocozza, who was then 76 and previously worked as a fish-fryer and ice-cream man, as a man who devastated her life. "He had blighted my life for so long, and after the rape I went into the blackest depression," she said. "He really did make me suffer. I’ve never got over what he has done to me. It has affected so many areas of my life. You feel shamed and humiliated after being raped."

The woman recounted that Cocozza raped her when she was 20 after visiting his flat in John Street. During her stay, he sneaked into bed where she was sleeping with her two-year-old son, whom she prayed would not wake up during the ordeal. "The weekend of the rape, he had paid for my flight to come and visit him with my boy," she explained. "I stayed along with my son at his flat in John Street. I thought nothing of staying there as I didn’t realize the extent of this man’s depravity; that only came to light after I contacted the police."

She also detailed an incident in 1973, when Cocozza raped a 15-year-old girl after she visited a shop he owned in Largs, Ayrshire. The girl, who was unable to get home at the time, stayed in Cocozza’s flat in the town, where he entered her room and assaulted her sexually before she fled during the early hours.

Further abuse was committed by Cocozza at his former home in Hamilton and at two hotels, one in Coatbridge and another in Glasgow. The abuse was reported to authorities in 2007 after one of the victims contacted the social work department at South Lanarkshire Council. Strathclyde Police became involved, revealing additional victims and confirming Cocozza’s identity as a father of seven and grandfather of 15.

The victim expressed gratitude that her doctor advised her to report Cocozza after she disclosed her history of abuse, fearing she might never have received justice otherwise. "I was diagnosed with a genetic disorder," she stated. "I told my doctor who he was and what he had done to me when I was 20, and he urged me to alert the police."

She reflected on the sentence he received, which she deemed to be approximately half a year per victim, and expressed hope that there were no other victims who had yet to come forward. "I only wish I had alerted the authorities sooner, and there were many times I wanted to, but I had to consider my children, who were young at the time, and I couldn’t put them through it."

Now pleased that she reported her abuse, she hopes Cocozza will accept his crimes and find some peace. "I pray that all his victims can move on and that justice has been truly served."

She has also encouraged other women and children in similar situations to come forward. "I would like to commend the Victim Support Agency staff, who dealt with victims all throughout this, from the initial statement to the court case. They are superb, keeping you informed at every step and always being there for you. If my story can help one more victim, it will be worthwhile."