Former councillor jailed for rape of child in Stoke-on-Trent

A former councillor has been jailed for nine years after being found guilty of a rape in Stoke-on-Trent.

Randolph Peter Conteh, 63, of Stoke-on-Trent, was sentenced at Derby Crown Court today (Friday 26 August) after he was found guilty of rape a female under 16 by a jury following a trial in June.

He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for life.

Conteh was arrested in June 2020 following after an allegation of rape was made to another police force.

The rape was reported to have taken place in Stoke-on-Trent in the late 1990s. The offence pre-dates when Conteh became a councillor at Stoke-on-Trent City Council.

Staffordshire Police began an investigation and Conteh was charged in May 2021 but pleaded not guilty to the offence.

Detective Inspector Adrian Webb, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “The victim has shown great strength and determination throughout the investigation and trial.

“I must commend her tremendous courage in coming forward to report what happened.”

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the victim of this awful crime. The offence is historic, and clearly pre-dates the time Conteh was a councillor, but the passage of time does not make this any easier for his victim and we applaud her bravery in speaking out.

“Conteh was a well-known public figure and held high office and responsibilities in his time as a city councillor. This makes this historic crime even more shocking.

“All councillors are bound by strong principles of public life and public duty. We take these principles very seriously, they are upheld by the council’s constitution and are monitored by formal standards processes.”