Two men have today been jailed following the rape and sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl in Southampton in December 2024.

Damian Andre Martin, 48, of Millbrook Road West, appeared at Southampton Crown Court today (Friday 25 April) where he was sentenced to 14 years in prison for rape, sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration, assault by beating and taking a child so as to keep him/her from a person having lawful control. Martin will also have a five year extended license and be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the Sex Offender’s Register for the rest of his life.

Gurdev Singh Rathore, 50, of Milton Road, appeared at the same court where he was sentenced to four and a half years in prison for sexual assault and causing a female 13 or over to engage in a non-penetrative sexual activity. Rathore will be subject to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order and the Sex Offender’s Register for the rest of his life.

Police received a report on Friday 27 December that some time overnight on Thursday 26 December into Friday 27 December the girl was raped by a man and sexually assaulted by a second man at an address in the St Mary’s area, both of whom she had met that evening.

The girl reported that she met the two men as she was walking along St. Mary Street. A short time later, Martin raped her and sexually assaulted her. She was then taken to an address on Chapel Road where Rathore sexually assaulted her.

Rathore and Martin both pleaded guilty to the charges against them and have now been jailed for a combined total of 18 and a half years.

On sentencing, His Honour Judge Christopher Parker told both men: “That detention of her in those terrible circumstances must have been unimaginably horrific for those close to her, but for her as a 13-year-old child to have been raped and taken to a flat, abused further sexually in turn by the pair of you must have been – as she describes it – absolutely horrendous and she was in fear of her life.”

He told Martin that his behaviour was so dreadful that he could not be considered to be safe around young vulnerable children.

Police Staff Investigator Rebecca Stevens of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary’s Western Child Abuse Investigation Team, who led the investigation, said: “We are pleased with this sentence today, which comes following a complex and lengthy investigation. Many detectives, officers and police staff have worked hard to secure justice for the victim in this case, and it is thanks to the overwhelming evidence against Rathore and Martin that they had no choice but to plead guilty.

“Above all else, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the victim – without her courage and support throughout the course of this investigation we would not have secured these guilty pleas and this sentence today.

“The actions of Rathore and Martin were incredibly predatory and extremely concerning, and we are pleased that these two dangerous individuals will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison for what they have done.

“There is support available to children who have experienced, or are experiencing, sexual abuse in any form. We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to speak to police straight away, but there are other support services available that you can access.”

We encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault or rape to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.

We recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced. Please be reassured that there are other services available that can offer you specialist support to help you deal with the impact of abuse.

Children can contact Childline on 0800 1111 for advice and support. If you are concerned about a child then you can contact the NSPCC helpline, confidentially, on 0808 800 5000. Alternatively, you can email help@nspcc.org.uk

For those in Southampton, Yellow Door, a local charity, can also offer you a range of help and support. You can visit their website at yellowdoor.org.uk or contact them on 023 8063 6312.

For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, you can visit our dedicated web page: https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/rsa/rape-and-sexual-assault/support-for-victims-of-rape-and-sexual-assault/