Hackney rapist finally brought to justice 15 years after series of ‘gruesome’ attacks

A rapist has been jailed for a series of “brutal” attacks on a man in east London 15 years ago.

Kurt Forbes, 39, was brought to trial by a team of experts after the victim came forward more than a decade after he was repeatedly raped.

In February, he was found guilty by a jury at Wood Green Crown Court of three counts of rape and one count of attempted rape. On Wednesday, the same court sentenced him to 11 years in prison.

The crimes against a person known to him occurred in Hackney between 1998 and 2006. Forbes was tracked down in Ilford following a police search.

Detective Constable Thomas Millard, who led the investigation, said: “The victim in this case showed extraordinary courage, not only in coming forward to the police, but also in presenting extensive evidence in court which left the jury in no doubt of Forbes’ guilt.

“Despite the time that has passed since the crimes occurred, our team has worked tirelessly to gather evidence that proves Forbes committed these horrific crimes.

“We hope this shows all other victims that we take any sexual crimes reported to us very seriously, no matter how long ago they occurred.”

In July 2022, a man contacted the police and reported that he had been raped four times by a man he knew.

Officers videotaped the statement and offered the victim professional support, including a referral to an independent sexual assault advocate.