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A man has been convicted after his DNA was linked to a 2021 unsolved rape investigation following his arrest for an attempt rape in Leeds.
Rashid Boachie, aged 44, was found guilty today 19th February 2026 of rape, and sexual assault and will be sentenced on 25th March 2026.
In the early hours of 10th August 2025, Boachie targeted a woman who had become separated from her friends while on a night out in Leeds.
CCTV showed Boachie talking with the victim before taking her to an alleyway behind the Travelodge hotel on Blayds Yard. Boachie sexually assaulted her when a staff member from the hotel heard the woman’s cries for help and intervened, causing Boachie to walk away.
Boachie was identified after a media appeal was made which included CCTV images of him in the vicinity of the offence.
He was arrested on 14 August and, as part of his arrest, DNA samples were taken. His DNA was found to match DNA found on the jeans of the victim in a rape investigation from 2021.
The earlier offence had been reported to the police and investigated at the time, but no suspect could be identified.
It occurred on 29 August 2021 in the Beeston area of Leeds.
The victim in that case had been drinking with friends, and a number of taxis had been called to take them into the city centre.
The victim had stepped away from her friends for a short period and mistakenly got into Boachie’s car thinking it was a taxi.
Instead of taking her home as requested, Boachie first took her to one car park which was too busy before taking her to another empty car park where he raped her. While in the car, the victim was able to send a short video message in which she can be heard saying “help me.”
Boachie has been remanded in custody since his arrest and charge in August last year.
Detective Inspector Jodie Hayes, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, said:
“In both cases, Boachie has deliberately preyed on heavily intoxicated, vulnerable women who have become separated from their friends. He is a dangerous sexual predator who will hopefully now be behind bars for a long time.
“The victims have both shown immense courage throughout, and I am sorry that despite the evidence against him, Boachie refused to admit what he had done, resulting in them having to go through the trial process.
“Members of the public played a valuable role in helping us identify Boachie in the CCTV images from the 2025 offence. By arresting him for that offence, we were able to then link him back to the earlier offence.
“Cases like this are never fully closed, we will always act on any new evidence to get justice for victims.
“There were four years between these offences and there is potential that Boachie has committed other crimes during that time. If anyone has been a victim of an offence, we would urge them to report it. You will be supported throughout by specially trained officers, as these two victims have been.”