Rape accused 'had respect for woman' (From Oxford Mail)

Rape accused 'had respect for woman'

9:30am Friday 22nd February 2013 in News By Joe Nimmo, Senior reporter. Call me on (01865) 425373.

A MAN accused of raping a woman in an Oxford park told a jury yesterday he treated her “with respect”.

Julio Dos-Santos, of Nightingale Avenue, Oxford, denies attacking the student in Bury Knowle Park, Headington, on September 11.

He is accused, along with Takudzwa Hunda, of Casterbridge Road, Swindon, of rape and carrying out a serious sexual assault. Hunda also denies the charges.

Yesterday, during the fourth day of their trial, Dos-Santos took the stand and refuted that either man had forced themselves on her.

In her evidence on Tuesday the woman said she had been “very drunk” but could clearly remember the two men taking advantage of her.

Dos-Santos said that after they met at the White Horse pub, in Headington, they went to pick up more alcohol from a petrol station. The 28-year-old said he had consensual sex with the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, after his friend Hunda, 26, drove them to the park.

But prosecutor Ian Acheson disputed this and alleged the pair had plied the 20-year-old with drink “You planned to try it on in the park, didn’t you? Getting her tipsy would have increased your chances, wouldn’t it?”

Dos-Santos said: “No sir.”

Mr Acheson said: “The plan was to go to the park to drink more and to have sex, whether she liked it or not, wasn’t it?”

Dos-Santos replied: “Not at all sir. At no point was she forced to do anything. Everything that we did was consensual. I never forced her to drink or anything like that. In my mind I treated her with respect – there was nothing wrong with what we did.”

He added that buying the woman drinks was “just me being polite”.

The trial continues.