Rape Victim Met Attacker Outside Acton Bar
Ex-Princeton student caught on CCTV wearing his university top
Paulo Kretteis in CCTV footage captured at the time of one of his rapes
A 22-year-old man from Northolt has been convicted of two counts of rape including one on a woman he befriended after meeting her outside a bar in Acton.
Paulo Kretteis, of Petts Hill, was found guilty following a trial at Isleworth Crown Court which concluded this Thursday (28 January).
He attended Greenford High School from which he managed to obtain a place at Princeton University to study engineering. His conviction was partly secured due to him wearing a Princeton top during one of the rapes.
In the early hours of Sunday 13 October he was out drinking with teammates from his rugby club in the Chatsworth Bar in Acton when he met a 25-year-old woman outside. He befriended her, and after walking her back to her home in White City, he asked if she would accompany him to a nearby bus stop.
As they approached a secluded footbridge near Bentworth Road at around 4.40am, Kretteis grabbed hold of her throat and began squeezing it and threatening to kill her. He then started pulling at her trousers and hitting her face. At one point she asked if she still had all of her teeth at which point Kretteis told her to smile so he could check. He then struck her to the face again, before sexually assaulting her.
The victim managed to escape after noticing someone walking close by. She ran into the middle of a nearby road and a taxi driver with passengers stopped and called the police. She was clearly distressed and had suffered visible injuries to her face and was bleeding. She was taken to hospital where she was supported by specially trained officers.
Some months later police were called to a residential address in Ealing in the early hours of Sunday, 15 December after a second woman reported being raped and attacked by Kretteis who was known to her. The twenty-year-old victim was left with bruising on her face and throat as well as bite marks. Clumps of her hair were also found at the address. Kretteis was arrested at the scene and as part of the investigative process, his DNA was taken.
In February 2020 results from a forensic investigation managed to identify Kretteis from the DNA found on the jacket that the first victim had left behind in the struggle, which was found dumped in a nearby council bin.
Kretteis denied the charges and argued that CCTV footage showing him near the scene was not him despite his university top clearly being visible.
Kate Shilton, from the CPS, said, “Paulo Kretteis charmed his victims and lulled them into a false sense of security, before carrying out violent sexual attacks.
“The prosecution case included DNA evidence, strong witness testimony and CCTV footage which clearly showed Kretteis at the scene.
“During police interviews Kretteis claimed the person pictured in the footage was not him, adding that he had never styled his hair in a man bun. But his Instagram posts showed otherwise. The Princeton University top worn by Kretteis on the night of the attack was also found at his home address.
“Sexual offences are some of the most serious, complex and traumatic cases. I want to thank the brave victims in this case who have supported the prosecution, one of whom even gave evidence from overseas by live-link due to current travel restrictions. I hope this conviction goes some way to providing them with a sense of closure and encourages other victims of sexual crimes to come forward and see their attackers face justice.”
Detective Sergeant James Bulpin, who lead the investigation into the White City attack, said, "Kretteis attacked a lone woman in the street late at night and only fled the scene when interrupted by a person walking by. He may well have thought that he had got away with this attack, but he has now rightly been convicted."
Detective Constable Asha Adams, of the West Area BCU, who investigated the second offence, said, “Kretteis has shown no regard for either of the survivors he has been convicted of raping. Both have shown tremendous bravery to come forward and in their commitment to helping police convict this dangerous and violent offender. “
As well as being found guilty of raping two women Kretteis was also convicted of one count of making threats to kill. He had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He will be sentenced at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 26 March.
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January 30, 2021