After sexually abusing two young women in Bristol, a 26-year-old man, Nathan Catherall Croydon Rapist, has been sentenced to 11 years in jail and given indefinite notice.
On a dating app, Nathan Catherall of Croydon contacted his victims—who were eighteen and nineteen years old at the time of the offences in 2020 and 2021—then raped them.
Last month at Bristol Crown Court he was convicted guilty of two crimes of rape and one act of assault by penetration; he was imprisoned yesterday, June 27.
The victims, who claimed to be appalled by their ordeals, suffered greatly from these events.
One of his victims—who cannot be named for legal reasons—said, “Sometimes I feel numb thinking about what happened,” in front of courts. For so long I was able to control my feelings, hence I avoided having to cope with the pain.
“I was very scared; I like to think of myself as a strong, powerful woman, but in that moment, I lost both those traits and myself.”
She said, “I hope I can learn to forgive myself for being so hard on myself after you raped me and I hope I treat my body better while recovering from this than I did when I was coping with it. Instead of crying or hating myself, I want to value my body and self.
In May, Nathan Catherall was found guilty.
Declaring that Nathan Catherall displayed a “worrying attitude of entitlement” and an “absolute lack of insight” into his offence, Kate Brunner KC punished him on Thursday.
She also praised the victims for their “enormous strength and courage”.
Investigative officer Ellen Rye said, “rape myths and stereotypes should not be part of our modern society and have no place in safe sexual relationships.”
“No always means no and has several methods of expression. It is not said; anyway a person shows it is legitimate and should be valued by the other side.
Nathan Catherall disregarded each victim’s right to say no in favour of his own gratification.
“The victims in this case showed the utmost courage, strength and bravery by sharing their experience with the court and I commend them for that.”
Whether recent or not, report rape or sexual assault using 101 or visit www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/.
Should you be a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can self-refer to The Bridge, a Sexual Assault Referral Centre operating around the clock, 365 days a year. Either phone 0117 342 6999 or visit their website at www.thebridgecanhelp.org.uk.
For information about organisations and groups knowledgeable in victim support, visit www.thisisnotanexcuse.org.uk.
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.