Philip Pariyo, a 32-year-old Ugandan rugby player who represented his country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, has been sentenced to four and a half years in prison for raping a woman in Cardiff in 2021.
Pariyo, who had claimed asylum in the UK after disappearing post-Games, became friends with the victim before attacking her at a flat in Cardiff. Despite denying the allegations, Pariyo was found guilty in December 2024. The woman’s impact statement revealed the long-lasting physical and mental trauma caused by the attack.
Judge Celia Hughes condemned Pariyo’s actions as an “appalling attack,” noting that his not guilty plea was in the face of overwhelming evidence. His sentence is expected to affect his asylum claim.
