London Man Jailed For 22 Years For Drugging And Raping Straight Men

A 36-year old man from Wandsworth, London was sentenced to 22 years in jail for drugging and sexually assaulting two men in Oxfordshire. 

Trigger Warning: This story discusses and has details of sexual assault, which might be distressing to some readers. For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.

Luiz Inacio Da Silvaneto was held guilty by a jury at the  Oxford Crown Court on Thursday.  Detective Inspector James Holden-White described Da Silvaneto as a “sexual predator” who deiberately targeted heterosexual men. 

“Da Silvaneto is a sexual predator and a very dangerous man, as such the streets are a much safer place with him behind bars,” said Holden-White in a statement. “Da Silvaneto deliberately targeted heterosexual men whom he believed would be especially unlikely to report the offences to police, but he was wrong.”

Accused Targeted Straight Men

The police said that Da Silvaneto used a “well-practiced modus operandi; targeting men, administering a substance to incapacitate and overpower his chosen victim, and then engaging in sexual activity with them, knowing they are not in a position to consent.”

The first victim was targeted on November 10, 2021, when  he shared drinks with Da Silvaneto at a property in Middle Barton. The victim lost consciousness and woke up to find Da Silvaneto sexually assaulting him. The victim said he couldn’t move his limbs due the effect of the drugs that Da Silvaneto had put in the drinks. 

The second incident took place a month later on December 10, 2021, when the victim who was looking for a taxi outside a bar in Chelsea, London, was picked up by Da Silvaneto. He doesn’t remember anything that happened in the night, except for being forced to have a drink. He woke up in the same Middle Barton property. The police said the second victim too had been drugged and raped. 

During the trial, police presented evidence that on December 10, 2021, Da Silvaneto had been trying to approach and engage with men in public toilets. They also presented evidence that Da Silvaneto was found in possession of and had knowledge of the use and effects of Gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) and Gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), substances, “which in appropriate dosages can anaesthetise, incapacitate or effect the consumer’s ability to recall events without necessarily immobilising them completely.”

‘Horrendous Feeling I Will Never Forget’

The victims in their impact statements recounted the terror that they felt.

“The feeling of being drugged was horrendous and a feeling I will never forget for as long as I live. I felt instantly like I wanted to sleep, I felt like I needed to lay down, I could barely stand on my feet, my speech wouldn’t come out. Then I came too whilst he was doing what he did, and this is something that will live with me for the rest of my lift, an image I replay over and over in my mind. Being unable to move or speak, but to know what was happening is a feeling I will never ever be able to forget or describe to anyone,” said the first victim. 

“Even now, eight months later, I have been unable to tell my family or any of my friends about what happened. How can I tell them about this? What words would I use? So I live with this alone every day,” said the first victim. 

“I’m heterosexual. I’m Catholic. This has had a huge effect on both of those parts of my life. I feel it has already, and it will affect future intimate relationships. I have always loved female company but at the moment I feel unable to get into a relationship. Since this, I just don’t feel able to socialise with people. I hope one day I will be able to, but at the moment I just can’t cope with going out and being with people and I’m not sure how I will be able to move forward with this part of my life.”

Victim Called His Wife Crying And Screaming

The second victim told of the shock he felt, when he woke up in a strange house with a man he had never met. “The sense of panic I felt that morning is indescribable and I have never been so terrified in my life,” said the second victim, who called up his wife. 

“Calling my wife crying and screaming down the phone is a memory she can never forget and has left her traumatised,” said the second victim. “Whilst I have little memory of that night, I unfortunately had to hear of the awful things this man did to me against my will. It is something I will have to live with for the rest of my life and will cross my mind every day.”

The police said they were keeping “an open mind”about the possibility that Da Silvaneto has committed other offences, and have asked anyone with information to contact Thames Valley Police via the email address [email protected].

 

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or webchat.