A UGANDAN rapist who was jailed after admitting on Facebook that he attacked a woman has been deported after immigration officials dismissed his claim that he would face persecution because he was gay.
John Ssewagudde, 23, had argued he would be prosecuted in his home country of Uganda, where homosexuality is a crime punishable by 14 years in prison, and has seen vigilante murders. However, he lost his bid and was deported following the end of his prison sentence on Monday.
Yesterday, his victim spoke of her relief after fearing he would be released back to Glasgow, where she lives.
However, the 31-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, criticised the Home Office after only learning that her attacker had lost his asylum bid from The Scotsman.
She said: “It’s a relief. When I heard, I could have cried because I didn’t know what was happening. Was he out? Was he in [jail]? All I knew was he had come to the end of his sentence.
“I’ve been trying to find out. I wrote letters to the Home Office, I’ve e-mailed, I spoke to my MP, Margaret Curran.
“She was helpful and the Home Office said they would keep her informed but I guess they didn’t. Whenever I called the Home Office, they said his data protection was more important than mine.”
Ssewagudde was a charity worker whose visitor’s visa had already expired when he raped the woman in her own home on 25 June, 2010.
He denied the charge but was convicted after posting a message on Facebook saying: “I admit it. I raped you.”
He was jailed for four years in 2011. He made a bid for asylum while still on remand, but that was rejected last year.
His victim says she received no official confirmation of that, or of his deportation this week. The Home Office said it was in the process of writing to her, and would have informed her if he had been released.
She said: “I work until 9pm. Being out in the city, it’s intimidating. I would see someone who looks similar and at first I thought it was him.”
The victim moved home and even changed which bus she travels on, to try and make sure she would never see him again.
However, she insists the ordeal, including the court case – where she gave evidence over two days and was then recalled for further examination – has made her stronger as a person.
“I was not going to stay down, I got on with my life,” she said.
“I’m studying humanities at university and I want to get into victim advocacy. I also .volunteer for victim support witnesses services, helping people through the court process.”
Rape Crisis Scotland has said authorities should keep victims informed when offenders are reaching the end of their sentence.
Sandy Brindley, national co-ordinator, said: “It can be extremely nerve-wracking for victims when the offender is reaching the end of the sentence. To be kept informed of what is happening should be the very least they can expect.
“Survivors of sexual crimes are in fear of what might happen when the attacker is released. That could be easily addressed just by keeping them informed.”
The Home Office said the case was an example of the tough line it was taking in deporting foreign criminals who do not have a justified case for asylum.
Ssewagudde could not have been deported sooner, as he had to serve his sentence first.
A spokeswoman for the Home Office said: “Ssewagudde was transferred to immigration detention immediately on release from his prison sentence. He was deported to Uganda on 20 May, 2013.
“Those who come to the UK must abide by our laws. We take all necessary steps to deport criminals.”
She added: “Mr Ssewagudde was never released from custody – we would have informed the victim if he had been granted bail … we will take steps to see if we could have kept the victim better informed.”
Ms Curran said: “I am very concerned that the UKBA did not keep either the victim or myself informed of the progress of
Ssewagudde’s deportation given their previous commitment to do so.
“I will be raising this failure with the minister responsible
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottis...rted-1-2940352
It is an absolute disgrace that this germ was given legal aid to fight his deportation on "human rights " grounds. On completing his sentence he should have been hooded, shackled and taken straight to the airport rather than "immigration detention" with publicly funded hand wringing, leeching lawyers on tap.
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