WERNHER BRION, PRISON SUPPORT OFFICER, SENTENCED IN LONDON FOR RAPE OF TEENAGE STUDENT AT KARAOKE PARTY

In July 2017, Wernher Brion, a prison support officer, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after being convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl during a house karaoke party in Abbey Wood, London.

Brion, who is over 40 years older than his victim, exploited the teenage girl while her nurse wife was working a night shift. The Old Bailey court heard that Brion, 59, had previously worked at Belmarsh, a high-security jail known for detaining terrorists.

The court was told that the girl initially felt unwell at Brion’s address and was helped onto a sofa in an unused room to rest. Later, Brion entered the room, blocked her escape with an armchair, and committed the assault. The attack was facilitated by Brion’s earlier act of buying alcohol for the group of students at a pub in Bexleyheath in July 2015, and he waited for the right moment during the evening of July 19.

Despite claiming the teenager ‘fancied him’ because of her pierced nipples, Brion was convicted of rape and regarded as a ‘danger’ to young people. Recorder Malcolm Fortune gave a stern verdict, stating: “It was the route for you to meet your people and younger females in particular. You took advantage of her. You were not only old enough to be her father but also her grandfather, which I regard as a serious aggravating factor.”

He continued, “By your actions, you have grievously abused your position as a host and the trust that any ordinary and right-minded person would have expected you to observe during her vulnerability due to alcohol or tiredness. You had preyed upon her from the start, especially after she disclosed her pierced nipples. I consider your actions to have been predatory to satisfy any feelings of lust surrounded by young females.”

The judge concluded that Brion posed a significant danger, citing his attitude and lack of insight into the harm caused. “This was the rape of a vulnerable young woman who has now suffered severe psychological damage,” he added.

Brion received a prison sentence of 12 years, plus an extended license period of three years, ensuring he will serve at least eight years in custody.