Man jailed for sexual assault in Norfolk care home 18 years after fleeing UK to evade justice
55 year old Jossy Joseph was extradited from India to face a court in Norfolk
A man has been jailed for the sexual assault of a woman at a Norfolk care home almost two decades ago.
55 year old Jossy Joseph, of no fixed address, was extradited from India to face justice following the attack at a residential home in Swanton Novers, near Fakenham, in October 2005.
He admitted sexual assault at Norwich Crown Court and will serve a four year sentence. He will be deported upon his release.
Joseph's victim was a woman who'd suffered brain damage as a result of a serious head injury when she was younger.
The court heard how the victim told her “a man came into my room last night” and she'd been sexually assaulted.
Police were called and forensic evidence was secured, that later linked Joseph to the crime.
He was employed as a driver and maintenance worker at the home at the time.
Joseph fled the country to India however the investigation remained open. He was tracked down and extradited back to the UK at the end of last year.
Detective Inspector Kevin Barber, who led the investigation for Norfolk Police from 2016, said: “Joseph is a cruel sexual predator who sexually assaulted a vulnerable woman in her own bed – a woman who had already experienced a traumatic event that had a profound impact on the rest of her life."
"She had every right to be looked after and cared for and Joseph abused her trust, and the trust placed in him by her loving family, for his own perverse gain and then attempted to escape justice.
“Sexual offences in Care homes perpetrated by staff are very rare in Norfolk. I certainly want to reassure the public of this and send a message that we will seek out those who commit sexual offences.
"We will always try our absolute best to bring offenders to justice and we were determined to do everything possible to do that in this case too, irrespective of the expanse of time or distance.
"I’m pleased we were able to bring Joseph back to Norfolk to face the consequences of his actions, and I only hope today’s sentencing brings some closure for the victim and her family.”
In a statement, the victim’s family said: “Firstly, we would like to offer our sincere thanks to Norfolk Constabulary, and all other parties involved in seeking justice for our daughter following this cowardly and horrendous crime.
“We entrusted our very vulnerable daughter to the care of this home on the understanding that she would receive the specialist care needed, and most importantly in a safe environment.
"How wrong we were. Even after nearly 18 years, the guilt of knowing that we failed her is still strongly felt.”