Serial Rapist Who Stalked Lone Women Is Given 10..

A SERIAL rapist who stalked lone women across the South East of England was given ten life sentences yesterday.
Petros Anthia, 35, a Greek Cypriot builder, pleaded guilty to ten charges of rape and three of assault carried out in North London and south Hertfordshire between January 2003 and April 2004.

Anthia, who has more than twenty previous convictions for indecent assault in his homeland, attacked six women in North London and three in Hertfordshire. He targeted the women while they were alone on isolated streets. He pleaded guilty to the charges on Tuesday, four weeks into his trial at St Albans Crown Court.

As he passed sentence, Judge John Bevan, QC, said that Anthia had carried out a systematic campaign of planning and executing attacks.

The judge told him: “You have bowed to the inevitable and finally admitted what you have done, albeit after nine innocent victims were dragged through the court. They all thought that they were going to be killed and were all petrified. You are beyond reform or correction, you have a string of sex offences, some while wearing a mask. Although they have recovered physically, you have caused incalculable harm to your victims and you have shown no remorse.”

Jailing Anthia for a minimum of 25 years, the judge said: “You should be released from prison only when you are physically infirm. Life should mean life.” Anthia, of Haringey, North London, was also jailed for four years for three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. All sentences are to run concurrently.

Anthia was charged with the rape of a Frenchwoman in England in 1999 but the case never came to trial as his alleged victim refused to return to Britain to give evidence. He changed his pleas to the later charges yesterday when police announced that the woman would be travelling from France to give evidence.

By 1992 Anthia had clocked up 21 convictions in Cyprus for charges of indecent assault and causing grievous bodily harm while wearing a mask. When interviewed by Cypriot police, he said: “I am under the control of a higher satanic power. I believe there is witchcraft here.”

Anthia wrote to Judge Bevan yesterday to admit the rape campaign. His victims were easy targets, walking alone at night, the court was told. They were attacked from behind, punched in the head and throttled to the point of unconsciousness while he carried out the attacks.

Judge Bevan said: “I am sure that these rapes are as much about violence as they are about sex. They all thought they were going to be killed and were all petrified.

“Serial violent rape is simply unacceptable in a civilised society. And women are entitled to know that the courts will do all in their power to get that message across.”

Norman Brennan, the director of the Victims of Crime Trust, said that Anthia should never be released from prison. “For the past 21 years Anthia has been a woman’s worst nightmare,” he said. “One has to ask, how many rapes does one have to be convicted of before they serve a true life sentence with no parole and no remission?”

Detective Inspector Mark Ross, of Hertfordshire Police,paid tribute to Anthia’s victims and their bravery in coming forward to give evidence during the trial.

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