Rapist who strangled victim and held her prisoner for rejecting him is convicted

Yonattan Gonzalez Pineda, 33, asked ‘Do you feel the connection now?’ during attack in Tottenham, north London

Yonattan Gonzalez Pineda, 33, has been convicted of strangling and raping a woman in Tottenham, north London (Aaron Chown/PA)

A rapist who strangled a woman until she was unconscious and kept her prisoner for hours after she rejected him has been convicted.

Yonattan Gonzalez Pineda, 33, choked his victim until she passed out and then raped her when she woke up.

He carried out the attack on the 29-year-old victim after she told him she did not want to see him because she did not feel a romantic connection.

Gonzalez Pineda asked his victim “Do you feel the connection now?” as he strangled her during the attack at an address in Tottenham, north London, on 23 June last year.

The woman, who was held against her will for three hours, was left fearing for her life and was only able to escape after having sex with Gonzalez Pineda.

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She was left with bruises to her face and knees as well as bleeding in both eyes, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

Gonzalez Pineda, of no fixed address, was arrested on 4 July after the victim attended a police station to report the rape.

Initially, he claimed the victim’s injuries could have been caused by going to the gym.

But he was convicted of rape, false imprisonment, causing grievous bodily harm with intent and unlawful wounding at Wood Green Crown Court on Friday following a trial.

Tetteh Turkson, a senior prosecutor with the CPS, said: “This was a terrifying sexual attack which left the victim fearing for her life.

“She could see no way out – and Yonattan Gonzalez Pineda simply did not take ‘no’ for an answer.

“When arrested, he initially claimed that the victim might have sustained injuries from going to the gym.

“Sexual offences are some of the most challenging cases to prosecute but the CPS is committed to bringing offenders to justice where there is the evidence to do so.”

Gonzalez Pineda will be sentenced at the same court on 28 May.

If you have been affected by sexual violence, you can find help via the NHS. Rape Crisis offers specialist support for women and girls; and the The Survivors’ Trust supports people of any gender.