A 22-year-old man from Fratton has been jailed for five years after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl in Portsmouth last year.
Rene Blankson of Ernest Road in Fratton was arrested and subsequently charged after a 16-year-old girl was attacked in Fratton during the early hours of Saturday 20th July last year.
The teenager was walking along Fratton Road at approximately 01:15am when a man she did not know began talking to her. He then assaulted her in St Mary’s churchyard. The girl managed to flee and sought help from a member of the public.
On Thursday 1st May 2025, Blankson was found guilty of assaulting a female aged thirteen or over by penetration with a part of the body by a jury at Portsmouth Crown Court. He was sentenced at the same court on Thursday 14th August to five years in prison, an additional three-year extended licence period, and is subject to a restraining order for life.
Following the trial, Blankson was found not guilty of other offences including sexual assault and non-fatal strangulation.
Detective Constable Amy Thatcher, officer in the case, said: “This attack has continued to have a significant impact on the victim both physically and mentally. Her bravery in speaking to us and reliving the most traumatic moments of her childhood is to be commended, and I truly hope this court result assists her recovery.
“We take all allegations of rape and sexual assault extremely seriously and have specially trained teams that can investigate these kinds of offences and provide support to victims. If you have experienced these kinds of offences, it is our promise to you that you will be heard and listened to. We are determined to put victims first and relentlessly pursue offenders, especially when investigating these kinds of cases.”
Police want to encourage anyone who has been affected by sexual assault to contact police on 101, where you can speak to an officer in confidence.
They recognise that not everyone has the confidence to talk to police about what they have experienced, and reassure that there are other services available that can offer specialist support to help deal with the impact of abuse.
For information and contact details relating to sexual abuse support services, you can visit Hampshire Police’s dedicated webpage for support for victims of rape and sexual assault.
