Man jailed for seven and a half years after raping woman in Toxteth

A man has been sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after raping a woman in Toxteth in 2023.

Salih Mahmoudi, aged 42, appeared at Liverpool Crown Court today, Friday 7 March, after admitting rape and section 47 assault.

At around 3.30am on Monday 21 August 2023, Mahmoudi met a woman aged in her 30s on London Road and they walked across town to Falkner Street, close to Crown Street and Oxford Street.

Mahmoudi then assaulted and raped the woman in a derelict building.

As well as a prison sentence, he has also been handed a Restraining Order against the victim for 15 years and placed on the Sex Offender's Register indefinitely.

Detective Constable Laura James, who was the officer in charge of the investigation, said: “To target a woman who was on her own and subject her to such a violent attack is truly shocking.

“This has been an extremely lengthy and complex investigation and while no sentence will repair the damage Mahmoudi inflicted on this woman, I hope this conviction provides her with some comfort.

“We are committed to protecting victims of sexual offences, and anyone who reports an incident to us will be safeguarded and supported throughout the investigation by Specially Trained Officers and Sexual Violence Advocates who will provide all the relevant support.

“Anyone that has been a victim of a sexual offence, is concerned for the safety of someone they know or suspects someone to be engaging in this criminal activity, should come forward and speak to us.

“We have a team of dedicated staff who will expertly and compassionately deal with your reports and we will do everything we can to bring offenders to justice.”

Anyone with information or wants to report a sexual offence is asked to call 101 where you will be spoken to by specially trained officers or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

If you have been a victim of sexual assault or rape, you can access specialist support services, which are free of charge and available to anyone. You do not need a referral or to have reported an incident to Merseyside Police before you access these specialist support services.

These services can support you in a variety of ways, including offering a confidential discussion if you are thinking of making a police report, but are unsure what that involves and would like to discuss it.

If you do decide to report to Merseyside Police, you will receive support throughout the investigation and court processes.

You can choose to make an anonymous report through the Sexual Assault Referral Centre called Safe Place, or the Independent Sexual Violence Advisor service, rather than coming directly to Merseyside Police.

With no police involvement, a specialist doctor at Safe Place can examine you to check that you are ok and look for DNA evidence, which they will store to support your case. This gives you the option of making a formal police report at a later time, if you choose to.

Support is also available in Liverpool, Sefton and Wirral, from Rape and Sexual Abuse Support (RASA) Merseyside who are available on 0151 558 1801 and, in St Helens and Knowsley, by the Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre (RASASC) Cheshire and Merseyside who can be contacted on 01925 221 546 or 0330 363 0063.

If you do not require immediate police assistance then you can report rape and sexual assault via our website here:
Rape, sexual assault and other sexual offences | Merseyside Police

Support is also available through the Police and Crime Commissioner’s Victim Care Merseyside service: Home: Victim Care Merseyside

Alternatively, you can report a sexual offence by calling 101 or you can pass information to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. In an emergency, always call 999.

For women who have felt or feel unsafe in public spaces the Home Office has set up a pilot service StreetSafe | Police.uk (www.police.uk) for anyone to anonymously report public places where they have felt or feel unsafe, because of environmental issues, e.g. street lighting, abandoned buildings or vandalism and/or because of some behaviours, e.g. being followed or verbally abused. Please note: 'StreetSafe' is not for reporting crime or incidents.