Indian-origin student charged for raping drunk woman sentenced in UK

London: A 20-year-old Indian-origin student has been sentenced to more than six years imprisonment for raping an "intoxicated" woman while she was on a night out with friends last year in Wales.

CCTV Footage showed Preet Vikal carrying the "intoxicated" woman in his arms and across his shoulders through Cardiff city centre.

Vikal admitted rape and was sentenced to six years and nine months in a young offenders' institution, a release by South Wales police said on Friday.

Vikal, an engineering student, came across the woman while she was on a night out with friends in Cardiff city centre.

“Stranger attacks such as these are extremely unusual in Cardiff but in Preet Vikal we had a dangerous individual," said Detective Constable Nick Woodland.

“He took advantage of an intoxicated and vulnerable young woman who became separated from her friends," Woodland was quoted as saying.

Prosecutor Matthew Cobbe said the university student brought the victim to his room at Talybont, despite the victim being unable to give consent, reported The Sun newspaper.

Officers carried out an extensive trawl of CCTV and it was this footage, along with an Instagram message exchange with the victim, that led to Vikal being identified and arrested.

He also took a "trophy photograph" of her on his bed.
Vikal will serve two-thirds of the sentence in custody and the remainder on licence. (PTI)