Serial Rapist Martial Arts Expert

Police did not believe first victim

Serial Rapist - image from yorkpress.co.uk

A British woman, now 29, came dangerously close to being raped by serial offender - described as a martial arts expert - Mark Thompson, in York back in 2009.

The woman was saved by two nightclub bouncers who heard her screams as she fought the violent sex attacker.

Thompson was arrested on suspicion of attempted rape and taken into custody, only to be released short time later. The victim was understandably shocked when authorities told her they didn't believe her claims of a sexual assault.

"It did not take them very long to decide they didn't believe me."
"It was a strange feeling. It was if I was the one who had done something wrong. I was so disappointed." (read the whole article here).

Because the prosecutors did not believe the victim, the serial rapist was set free to attack three more women.

It has also emerged that a total of 68 rape cases has been wrongly closed by Cleveland and Northumbria Police after they concluded no crime had been committed...

Arrested again

Then, five years later, in 2013, the same man was back in police custody. This time around he was brought in for kidnapping a 21-year-old student off a York street, raping her three times. Following that incident, two more victims came forward.

At Teesside Crown Court in May, [the first victim's] evidence helped convict Thompson [...].
The 37-year-old had denied nine charges, including three of rape, one of attempted rape and one of kidnap.
A judge branded him "one of the most dangerous offenders I have ever had to deal with."

The man was later given a life sentence for the crimes.

The 2009 victim added: "If they had taken my complaint more seriously five years ago these girls would not have had to go through things as bad or much worse than I did. That's what makes me really angry."