Unlicensed tattoo artist raped woman after she 'lost consciousness' at his flat

19 November 2022, 13:08

An unlicensed tattoo artist has been jailed for raping a woman who fell unconscious at his flat in north London.

Brazilian Dewal Dos Santos Silva, 37, of High Road in Wembley, was given 13 years in prison for the sex attack, which he committed on October 30, 2020, with a further five years on licence.

Dos Santos Silva was contacted by the victim, a woman in her mid-30s, who arranged to go to the flat to get a tattoo done on the evening of October 30 2020.

While there she became groggy and lost consciousness before waking in the early hours of the following morning to find Dos Santos Silva raping her.

As the "distraught" woman went home after the attack, Dos Santos Silva sent a text apologising for "screwing up" and asking if she was angry with him.

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He was arrested by police on November 3 of that year, claiming he could not remember what had happened, but officers had seized forensic evidence which would later prove his guilt.

Police say it is possible that more victims are yet to come forward.

Detective Constable Ian Smith, of the Met's north west command unit, said: "The victim somewhat trusted Dos Santos Silva as she had met him on a previous occasion for a piercing which went without incident.

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"This time around he exploited and abused her trust in the most horrific way, making her feel uncomfortable with suggestive comments before going on to rape her. Her bravery and courage is remarkable and I hope Dos Santos Silva’s jailing goes some way to helping her move on to the next chapter in her life."

"It is a possibility that there are more victims of Dos Santos Silva who have yet to come forward. I would encourage anyone who may have been a victim to contact us. We will listen to you, we will investigate and take action."

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Dos Santos Silva has also been barred from contacting the victim directly or indirectly.

He was found not guilty of administering a substance with intent.