A former US air power pilot has been cleared of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a nine-year-old lady throughout her household vacation to London earlier this 12 months.
Robert Prussak approached the lady after she turned separated from her household close to Harrods.
The lady, who can’t be named for authorized causes, was standing exterior the Knightsbridge division retailer when Prussak encountered her, a trial at Isleworth crown courtroom heard.
Prussak claimed he had tried to assist her discover her mother and father as a result of that’s what he would have wished somebody to do for his daughters.
Prosecutors stated he walked together with her to his flat and gave her bitter-tasting water they stated contained the antihistamine Benadryl, which left her drained. It was alleged that Prussak then took the lady to Hyde Park and sexually assaulted her.
The lady’s urine was discovered to incorporate diphenhydramine, the energetic ingredient in Benadryl, however the courtroom heard the substance was not detected within the glass Prussak gave her to drink from. There was additionally no DNA proof of an assault.
Prussak was arrested afterward the identical day after he and the lady have been noticed strolling previous the Israeli embassy by a Metropolitan police officer who had been advised she was lacking. Prussak was searched and stated “I used to be simply making an attempt to assist her out”, based on Sgt Edward Lucas.
Prussak denied all the fees towards him and a jury discovered him not responsible on Tuesday. Prussak broke down within the dock because the decide, Edward Connell, advised him that he was acquitted and was free to go.
Through the trial, the courtroom heard Prussak communicated with the lady, who didn’t converse English, utilizing the Google Translate app. The prosecutor stated they waited on the spot the place they first met for about seven minutes, earlier than transferring off.
“My thoughts went straight to my very own daughters, who’re just some years older than her, and I assumed if my daughters have been misplaced in a giant metropolis, I wouldn’t need them caught out alone. I used to be reluctant to become involved,” Prussak advised the courtroom.
CCTV footage performed to the jury confirmed the second Prussak encountered the lady exterior Harrods. He may very well be seen strolling previous her earlier than stopping to talk to her. The footage confirmed them getting into Chelsea Cloisters, the place Prussak was staying, and heading into his house. They spent virtually two hours inside, earlier than leaving and strolling by central London once more, footage confirmed.
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Prussak claimed to have taken the lady again to his flat as a result of it had begun to rain and he wished to seek out particulars on-line of emergency providers. He stated they finally left the house to move to a hearth station he had discovered the situation of.
In her closing assertion, Prussak’s lawyer Catherine Donnelly questioned why her consumer would take the lady “into one of many busiest parks, in some of the busy elements of the park” to sexually assault her. She additionally requested why he would wait till that time, when the consequences of the Benadryl he allegedly drugged her with may very well be “carrying off”.
She added: “The flat was the place to do it, nobody would have noticed him, [but] while there he turned on the tv, gave her a glass of water after which did nothing.”
He was discovered not responsible of three counts of sexual assault of a kid below the age of 13. He was additionally cleared of 1 rely of kidnapping, one rely of committing an offence of kidnapping with an intent to commit a sexual offence and one rely of administering a substance with intent.
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