Black principal repeatedly raped African student while threatening her with deportation

A black college principal, who repeatedly raped one of his African students while threatening her with deportation if she resisted, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. James Safo, 62, "controlled, degraded and systematically sexually abused the victim", Croydon Crown Court was told. Judge Simon Pratt said the attacks constituted a grave "abuse of power" and was one of the most serious cases of rape that he had ever dealt with. The court heard that the trained nurse left his 30-year-old victim haunted "day and night" by her ordeal. Ghana-born Safo was the principal and owner of The Secretary College, Croydon, and also owned four care homes. His victim was studying at the college which offers courses in health-care. She was also employed at one of Safo’s care homes and lived as a tenant in one of his houses. Safo was convicted after a six-week trial on four counts of rape, one attempted rape and one sexual assault between June 2007 and December 2008. His victim was pregnant during one of the rapes and later suffered a miscarriage.