Antoni Imiela was today found guilty at the Central Criminal Court of one count of rape, one count of indecent assault and one count of buggery. This relates to an incident in Forest Hill in the early hours of 25 December 1987.

CPS London Special Casework lawyer Andrew Hadik said:

?This was a very serious allegation with strong evidence. It was important that it be put before a jury and that the defendant be held to account for the crimes he had committed.

?Sadly, the victim in this case died some years ago in unrelated circumstances. The absence of a key witness is not an automatic barrier to justice. The Crown Prosecution Service successfully applied to have the victim's original statement read out to ensure that the jury heard her evidence.

?The subsequent death of a victim does not mean defendants can expect to escape prosecution. This case is an important example of how the Crown Prosecution Service will strive to secure justice for victims of crime.

?This attack had a devastating effect upon the victim?s life and sadly justice could not be secured whilst she was alive. However, her family have provided great assistance to this prosecution and I hope that they find some comfort in this conviction.?

Imiela was sentenced to 12 years in total ? six years for each of the three counts, with the count of indecent assault to run concurrently.