Bradford on Avon man jailed for 24 years for rape and sexual assault

A man from Bradford on Avon has been sentenced to 24 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of two women.

Dirk Weissenbruch, 61 was sentenced on Friday (15/09) at Salisbury Crown Court for five counts of indecent assaults on a girl under 14 years, two counts of rape of a woman over the age of 16 and one count of indecent assault on a woman over the age of 16.

He was also put on the sex offenders register indefinitely, in accordance with the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Detective Constable Laura Barwood said: “Weissenbruch was an intimidating man who was physically violent and emotionally abusive towards his victims.

“The abuse has caused them a huge amount of trauma for many, many years and he has continued to put them through pain by taking this case to trial.

“I want to thank his victims who have been incredibly brave and courageous at seeking justice for Weissenbruch’s crimes.”

If you’ve been the victim of rape or sexual assault, there are many different ways you can report it to the police.

We understand it can be difficult. You might not be completely sure what happened or how to talk about it.

Our trained officers and partner organisations are here to listen and work together to support you in any way we can.

Importantly, your information could help us bring the offender to justice and make sure you, and other people in a similar situation, are kept safe.

You can find more information on our website: How to report rape and sexual assault | Wiltshire Police or you can call 999 in an emergency

If you don't want to go to the police, you could go to your local sexual assault referral centre (SARC).

The trained staff there can give you confidential medical help and advice. They can also gather evidence for you to use at a later date, if you decide to report the assault to the police.

They won't contact the police unless you want them to.