7 June 2013
A man has been jailed for life, and ordered to serve a minimum of eight years, for raping an 11-year-old girl.
Opemipo Jaji, 18, of Edmonton, denied attacking the girl in Jubilee Park, Enfield, north London in November.
The Old Bailey jury was told the girl was attacked on her way home from school after she got off a bus.
Jaji has convictions for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl a year before the rape and for making indecent images of children.
‘Apparent remorse’
During sentencing, external Mr Justice Singh said Jaji was “manipulative and a liar”.
He said he had given careful consideration to whether he could impose a lesser sentence than life, for example a determinate sentence combined with an extended term.
“However, in all the circumstances of this case, I do not believe that the public would be adequately protected from you if you were the subject of any sentence other than a life sentence,” he said.
Speaking outside the court, BBC home affairs correspondent Danny Shaw said it was only after Jaji was found guilty in April that he had shown some level of remorse.
But the judge said: “I approach the degree of your apparent remorse with some caution.
“I had the opportunity to observe you when you gave evidence at your trial. It is clear to me that you are well capable of lying and of manipulating others around you to suit your own interests.”
‘Emotional scars’
The girl was attacked on her way home from school after she got off a bus in Enfield.
Jaji, who had also been on the bus after he had visited his probation, started following her.
The girl, feeling threatened, crossed the road three times before starting to run in an attempt to get away.
But the teenager grabbed her and took her to a secluded part of the park where he forced a glove into her mouth before raping her during a three-hour attack.
During the trial, the girl gave evidence via videolink.
Mr Justice Singh told Jaji he had “left her with terrible emotional scars”.
“One can only hope that, with the courage that she has already shown in giving evidence at this trial, and with the support of her family and friends, she can begin the process of recovery.”
Jaji had previously had an 18-month supervision order six months before for making indecent images of children.
A year earlier than that, he had sexually assaulted and robbed a 12-year-old schoolgirl on a housing estate.
Later, he was given a 10-month detention and training order which he went on to breach.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-22810180
Child rapist Opemipo Jaji loses life sentence appeal
2nd January 2026
Opemipo Jaji was jailed for life in 2013 after he followed a schoolgirl off the bus, dragged her into Jubilee Park and raped her.
Old Bailey judge Mr Justice Singh said Jaji, who already had convictions for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl and making indecent images of a child, was “manipulative and a liar”.
the judge decided only an indefinite prison sentence could ensure the public was protected from him – sentencing him to life with a minimum term of eight years.
An appeal against Jaji’s sentence was heard by a Court of Appeal judge at the end of 2025.
Jaji, who was 18 at the time of the rape and is now 30, argued that media scrutiny and racial bias led Mr Justice Singh to impose a manifestly excessive sentence.
He further argued that the judge had paid insufficient regard to his personal mitigation and that he was wrong to pass a life sentence when an extended sentence would have sufficiently protected the public.
Lord Justice Holgate, Mrs Justice McGowan DBE and Her Honour Judge Moreland considered the merits of Jaji’s appeal.
They concluded that Jaji’s sentence had not been manifestly excessive.
They refered to an extract from a pre-sentence repotrt which stated: “There is a clear escalation of seriousness in Jaji’s pattern of offending.
“This is now his third conviction for a sexual offence. In my view this [our emphasis] offence indicates that Jaji has become increasingly confident and predatory in his behaviour and there is clear evidence of a serious escalation in his risk.
“In Jaji’s offending history there are indicators of recklessness, significant risk taking, predatory behaviour and preying on vulnerable young girls.
“It has also been voyeuristic and opportunistic in nature.”
During his Old Bailey trial the court heard that the girl was attacked on her way home from school after she got off a bus in Enfield.
Jaji, who had also been on the bus after attended a probation appointment, started following her.
The girl, feeling threatened, crossed the road three times before starting to run.
But Jaji grabbed her and took her to a secluded part of the park where he raped her over the course of three hours.
Jaji denied rape during the trial but accepted he did commit the offence prior to his sentencing.
The name Opemipo is of Yoruba origin and is considered a unisex name. It translates to “God calls me to praise Him” or “God has called me to give praises”, reflecting a deep sense of gratitude and a calling to worship. Additionally, it can mean “my thanks are plentiful” or “my blessings are complete”, signifying parental gratitude for divine blessings. The name is often associated with positive emotions and is seen as a symbol of hope and joy.