Southsea man found guilty of raping 13-year-old girl in van after offering her lift to school

Denis Kadena, 34, was found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the girl in his van on Hill Street, Totton, on September 14. He pleaded not guilty but the jury at Southampton Crown Court delivered the verdict today following a four-day trial.

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The girl said she was walking back to school along Testwood Lane last year when an unknown man offered her a lift back to school before driving her to a secluded location on Hill Street and raping her.

Kadena, of Yorke Road in Southsea, was remanded in custody to appear before Southampton Crown Court on May 12 for sentencing.

Detective inspector Claire Shawley said: ‘We are pleased with the result from court today, and I would like to commend the victim for her courage throughout the investigation and trial. This conviction would also not have been possible without the help of the local community, who provided valuable evidence.

‘I hope this reassures our community that we take these allegations very seriously, and will work tirelessly to bring offenders to justice. We want to reassure anyone who reports incidents of serious sexual assault and rape to us that they will be believed, and they will be offered specialist support and provided with a specially trained officer.’

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