Man convicted of Raping Woman in Park 23 Years Ago

Gulzar Hussain, aged 40, of London, has been convicted of historical rape. He had raped a woman in a park more than 23 years ago.

He and an accomplice attacked the victim in a park after promising to help her find a taxi.

On October 17, 1997, the woman, then in her early 30s, had gone out with colleagues for drinks after work at the Cat and Canary pub in Canary Wharf.

At around 7:30 pm, she left to take the DLR train towards Bank.

However, the train terminated at Shadwell and she left the station in search of a taxi.

She was approached by two teenagers, Hussain and a friend, who told her of a nearby taxi office.

They tricked her into walking through King Edward Memorial Park in Wapping, where they raped her.

At the time, police were unable to identify any suspects so the case was closed.

In 2007, the case was reopened when new forensic evidence helped identify leads.

It led to Noor Hussain being arrested and convicted. In 2008, he was jailed for nine years.

He gave the name of his accomplice to officials in 2016. Further DNA analysis could also now be attributed to Gulzar and he was arrested in January 2017 and later charged.

Following a trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Hussain was convicted of one count of rape on February 11, 2021.

Melissa Garner, of the CPS, said: “This was a terrifying attack on a lone woman by two strangers who were teenagers at the time.

“The victim has waited more than 20 years to get justice.”

“During his initial police interview, Gulzar Hussain claimed that he could not have been responsible for the rape because he had been in Bangladesh at the time, and he had not had his first sexual encounter until he was 20 years old.

“But the jury did not believe his lies.

“The prosecution was able to present strong witness evidence that led to the naming of Hussain, alongside the compelling breakthrough in science that allowed investigators to confirm the DNA match to the defendant.”

Hussain will be sentenced on May 13, 2021.

Detective Constable Mark Crane said:

“Twenty three years have passed since this wicked and cowardly attack was carried out by two males who were both aged just 17 at the time.

“They took advantage of the victim’s trust and subjected her to a horrific assault as she tried to make her way home after enjoying a night out with her colleagues.

“Though one man was convicted and jailed, the victim had to live her life knowing an outstanding suspect was still out there.

“At times it must have felt like justice would never be fully achieved.

“I am glad that a jury has seen through Hussain’s lies in court that it could not have been him.

“I hope now he will receive a substantial sentence, and the victim can achieve some peace of mind knowing both her attackers have been caught.”