A UK court jailed a man on Thursday for removing without consent a condom that he was wearing during sex, in what London’s Metropolitan Police called a “milestone” legal case.
Guy Mukendi, 39, of south London, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison after being convicted in April, the London force said.
He had been arrested in May last year following a report of sexual assault made by a young woman in Brixton, south London.
The Met, as the capital’s police force is known, said the woman had consented to have sex with Mukendi on condition that a condom was used.
But during sex, he removed the condom without the victim’s knowledge.
Non-consensual condom removal — sometimes referred to as “stealthing” — is classified as rape in England and Wales.
The Met said such prosecutions are “very rare” due to under-reporting but that they are dedicated to pursuing “justice” for victims.
“This milestone case comes as the Met continues its pledge to be more suspect-focused in their approach to crimes that disproportionately affect women and girls,” the force said in a statement detailing the prosecution.
Mukendi was found guilty on April 2 at Inner London Crown Court and was sentenced at the same court on Thursday.
“Throughout this investigation, Mukendi denied any wrongdoing — but our officers built a compelling case against him to leave no doubt in the jury’s mind,” said Detective Constable Jack Earl, who led the investigation.
“We were dedicated to securing justice for the victim and will continue to raise awareness that this crime is a form of rape.”
