A YOUNG woman who was groped while lying paralytic in Chelmsford city centre has compared her attacker's six-month jail sentence to a "holiday".
Alan Bafli, 29, of Violet Close, Chelmsford, who has 24 convictions, was locked up on Thursday for brazenly assaulting her while she was slumped drunk on a bench near Chicago's night club.
Speaking to the Chronicle this week, and, in doing so, bravely waiving her court-given right to anonymity, the 19-year-old victim said she had still emerged worse off.
"At last he has been punished, but prison now is not really the same punishment as it used to be," she said.
"They give them clean clothes, hot food and a warm bed and that is not really punishment for this man – that's like a holiday. The fact that he has committed other offences in the past makes this sentence ridiculous."
The victim was in Chicago's nightclub in Moulsham Street on Saturday, June 21, when she believes her drink was spiked.
After stumbling out of the club "uncharacteristically" drunk, fellow revellers gathered to help her as she slumped on a bench.
One of those was Bafli, who shortly before 3am, is spotted on CCTV groping her breasts under her clothing and sliding his hand down her rib cage.
He was screamed at by bystanders and was followed by CCTV operators to the nearby Fancy Fry takeaway where he was arrested in the doorway.
But the victim does not remember the incident and cannot bring herself to watch the footage.
She said: "After three glasses of wine I am not going to be out for the count.
"I never drink that much either, I'm responsible when I go out and drink, I don't just go out and get smashed.
"But the next thing I remember is waking up in hospital and the police were saying they needed statements because a man was touching me.
"Maybe this guy Alan aimed to rape me and thank God he didn't succeed.
"But still, touching me without my permission – I don't know – I think it's sick if that man thinks it's OK to do that, when it's not."
Sentencing Bafli at Chelmsford Crown Court last week, Judge Anthony Goldstaub QC ordered him to sign the sexual offences register for seven years.
He said: "She was degraded and humiliated by what happened to her in a public place at your hands, literally, when you treated her like horse flesh."
Bafli's defence barrister Matthew Bugnall said his client, who pleaded guilty to the one count of sexual assault at a previous hearing, did not remember the incident either.
Mr Bugnall said: "Such was his intoxication he can't recall the incident and in fact feels disgusted about it.
"He has said 'that is not me' that is 'not the way I behave'. He is extremely sorry."
