Antoni Imiela
Encyclopedia
Antoni Imiela is a British rapist and paedophile of German and Polish origin, found guilty of the rape of nine women and girls, and the kidnap, indecent assault, and attempted rape of a 10-year old girl. The crimes took place in Surrey
, Kent
, Berkshire
, London
, Hertfordshire
and Birmingham
, and the press gave the fugitive the soubriquet of the M25 Rapist after the M25 motorway
that passes in the vicinity of all but one of these areas.
Imiela was finally caught with the use of DNA profiling. Once police had his DNA they launched a public appeal for information which resulted in a woman coming forward who expressed suspicion about her neighbour. A DNA swab test was carried out on the individual, Antoni Imiela, which enabled police to link him to the attacks. He was subsequently arrested.
On 4 March 2004, he was sentenced to seven life sentences at Maidstone Crown Court for the crimes. He is currently incarcerated at Wakefield Prison in Yorkshire
.
On 18 October 2010, Imiela was charged with the rape, indecent assault and buggery of a woman on Christmas Day, 1987 in Sydenham
, south east London, following a case review using new forensic techniques. The victim's interview with police had been recorded and although she has since died, Imiela appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on 1 November 2010 and subsequently at Southwark Crown Court on 7 January 2011 to answer the charges.
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
and Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, and the press gave the fugitive the soubriquet of the M25 Rapist after the M25 motorway
M25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
that passes in the vicinity of all but one of these areas.
Imiela was finally caught with the use of DNA profiling. Once police had his DNA they launched a public appeal for information which resulted in a woman coming forward who expressed suspicion about her neighbour. A DNA swab test was carried out on the individual, Antoni Imiela, which enabled police to link him to the attacks. He was subsequently arrested.
On 4 March 2004, he was sentenced to seven life sentences at Maidstone Crown Court for the crimes. He is currently incarcerated at Wakefield Prison in Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
.
On 18 October 2010, Imiela was charged with the rape, indecent assault and buggery of a woman on Christmas Day, 1987 in Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
, south east London, following a case review using new forensic techniques. The victim's interview with police had been recorded and although she has since died, Imiela appeared at City of Westminster Magistrates Court on 1 November 2010 and subsequently at Southwark Crown Court on 7 January 2011 to answer the charges.
Timeline
- 15 November 2001 - a 10-year-old girl is kidnapped from a leisure centre in AshfordAshford, KentAshford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, Kent and raped in woodland nearby. - 1 July 2002 - a 12-year-old girl is raped after being abducted whilst cycling in BracknellBracknellBracknell is a town and civil parish in the Borough of Bracknell Forest in Berkshire, England. It lies to the south-east of Reading, southwest of Windsor and west of central London...
, Berkshire. - 11 July 2002 - a 30-year-old woman is raped in Earlswood, Surrey. Six hours later, a 26-year-old woman is raped on Putney Common in London.
- 16 July 2002 - an 18-year-old woman is raped in Goldsworth ParkGoldsworth ParkGoldsworth Park is a large housing estate to the north-west of Woking in Surrey, England. It was named after the nearby Goldsworth area which was a large 'tithing' of Woking Parish. The tithing included most of the north west of Woking, such as Brookwood, Knaphill and St. John's. It is bordered by...
, WokingWokingWoking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey. - 6 August 2002 - a 52-year-old woman is raped on Wimbledon Common, London.
- 7 August 2002 - a 26-year-old woman is raped in EpsomEpsomEpsom is a town in the borough of Epsom and Ewell in Surrey, England. Small parts of Epsom are in the Borough of Reigate and Banstead. The town is located south-south-west of Charing Cross, within the Greater London Urban Area. The town lies on the chalk downland of Epsom Downs.-History:Epsom lies...
, Surrey. - 6 September 2002 - a 13-year-old girl is taken from her bicycle and raped in WokingWokingWoking is a large town and civil parish that shares its name with the surrounding local government district, located in the west of Surrey, UK. It is part of the Greater London Urban Area and the London commuter belt, with frequent trains and a journey time of 24 minutes to Waterloo station....
, Surrey. - 16 September 2002 - a 22-year-old woman is attacked in RipleyRipley, SurreyRipley is a village and parish in Surrey, which grew on the main A3 road from London to Portsmouth. The road was renumbered as B2215 when a bypass was built. The village is situated close to the M25 motorway and southeast of Woking, northeast of Guildford and some southwest of central London...
, Surrey. The attacker is bitten by her dog, and runs off. - 25 October 2002 - a 14-year-old girl is abducted from StevenageStevenageStevenage is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England. It is situated to the east of junctions 7 and 8 of the A1, and is between Letchworth Garden City to the north, and Welwyn Garden City to the south....
, Hertfordshire and raped at knifepoint. - 21 November 2002 - a 10-year-old girl is indecently assaulted in BirminghamBirminghamBirmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
.
See also
- Murder of Colette AramMurder of Colette AramThe murder of Colette Aram concerns Colette Aram, a 16-year-old trainee hairdresser who was abducted, raped and strangled as she walked from her home to her boyfriend's house in Keyworth, Nottinghamshire, on 30 October 1983. The murder was the first case to be featured on the BBC television series...
, another case which was solved through a similar DNA profiling method.
External links
- BBC News: Serial rapist jailed for life, report of sentencing
- BBC News: Timeline of attacks