Pramod Dhakal

Pramod Dhakal, 49, was found guilty of 25 sexual offences against seven girls and one woman following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court. The offences, committed over a 17-year period, included five counts of rape of a child under the age of 13 and two counts of rape of a child over the age of 13. The court heard that Dhakal, a resident of Peterborough, leveraged his position of trust within the local community to gain access to his victims, one of whom he began abusing at the age of eight.

Judge Mark Bishop sentenced Dhakal to a total of 25 years in custody, to be followed by an extended period on licence of eight years. During sentencing, the court noted that Dhakal, who had no previous convictions, maintained his denial of the offences throughout the proceedings. The judge remarked on the defendant's manipulation of his victims and his continued lack of remorse, noting that a pre-sentence report identified elements of victim-blaming behavior.