Rashid Boachie

Rashid Boachie, aged 44, was convicted at Leeds Crown Court on 19 February 2026 of rape and sexual assault following investigations by West Yorkshire Police. The convictions stemmed from two separate incidents in Leeds, where Boachie targeted vulnerable, intoxicated women. In the first offence, which occurred on 29 August 2021 in the Beeston area, the victim had been drinking with friends and mistakenly entered Boachie's car, believing it to be a taxi. Instead of taking her home, Boachie drove her to an empty car park and raped her. During the assault, the victim managed to send a short video message to her friends, in which she could be heard pleading, 'help me.' The case was reported and investigated at the time, but no suspect was identified until DNA evidence later linked Boachie to the crime.

The second incident took place in the early hours of 10 August 2025, when Boachie approached a woman who had become separated from her friends during a night out in Leeds. CCTV footage captured Boachie talking to the victim before leading her to an alleyway behind the Travelodge hotel on Blayds Yard, where he sexually assaulted her. The assault was interrupted when a hotel staff member heard the woman's cries for help and intervened, prompting Boachie to flee the scene. Following a media appeal that included the CCTV images, members of the public helped identify Boachie. He was arrested on 14 August 2025, and during the arrest, DNA samples were taken. These samples matched DNA found on the jeans of the 2021 rape victim, connecting him to the unsolved case.

Boachie has been remanded in custody since his arrest and initial charge in August 2025. Detective Inspector Jodie Hayes of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team commended the victims' courage, stating: '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.' Hayes also noted the role of public assistance in identifying Boachie and emphasised that such cases remain open for new evidence. The sentencing is scheduled for 25 March 2026.