A man who followed a young woman onto a London Underground train before sexually assaulting her has been jailed. Siljan Lacaj, 33, of Haringey, was confronted by other passengers on the train before a fight broke out.
Sentencing and court orders
Lacaj was sentenced on Thursday, September 24, at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court to one year behind bars after being found guilty of sexual assault. He was also handed a five-year Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) that bars him from speaking to, approaching, or touching any woman he does not know and prevents him from sitting next to or near any woman. He was also ordered to sign the Sex Offenders' Register for 10 years.
Incident details
The court heard how on November 3 last year, just before 9.30pm, Lacaj was at Leicester Square Underground station when he noticed a young woman sat on a bench by herself at the end of the platform. He approached and sat next to her, asking her persistent personal questions. He then followed her onto a Piccadilly Line train and sat next to her again before sexually assaulting her.
The assault was noticed by two other people on the train, who asked the victim if she knew the man. She shook her head. Other passengers began to shout at Lacaj and demanded he move, to which he became aggressive. The passengers then moved the victim away, and a fight broke out between Lacaj and other passengers on the train.
Arrest and police response
An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer on the train intervened and arrested Lacaj on suspicion of sexual assault. Lacaj claimed he was just trying to help the girl get home. In interview, he showed no remorse and refused to answer any questions.
British Transport Police Detective Constable Dominika Rogers said: "Lacaj's behaviour was appalling. He deliberately subjected a young woman, who was travelling alone, to a prolonged assault for his own gratification. There is simply no place for conduct like this on the railway network, and I am pleased that he has been held accountable for his actions."
She added: "I would like to pay tribute to the victim for the courage and resilience she showed in coming forward and reporting what happened. I cannot praise the two women on the train enough for noticing what was happening and stepping in to support and protect her. Their actions undoubtedly made a difference and demonstrate the importance of looking out for one another when someone is in need of help."
Rogers urged anyone who has been a victim of sexual offending on the railway network or witnessed an incident to report it by texting 61016.
