Warning: This story contains sensitive content that may be disturbing to some readers. Discretion is advised.
A man has been found guilty of sexual assault and break and enter in a case spanning back more than two decades.
Christopher Sharafi, also known as Mohmammed Mendi Sharafi, was found guilty in October 2023 and on April 30, 2024, for breaking into a home in Richmond and sexually assaulting a woman on Dec. 2, 2001.
He has been sentenced to five years for the sexual assault and five years for the break and enter, which will be served concurrently.
“We wish to commend the victim on the courage she has demonstrated throughout this entire ordeal. She has been unwavering in seeing the offender brought to justice despite having to relive these traumatic events,” Insp. Michael Cohee said.
“With the support of the victim from this heinous act, we are sharing this incident in the hopes of encouraging anyone who has been victimized to come forward in the hopes of seeking justice for them.”
In 2001, Richmond RCMP began investigating a sexual assault where the victim said a man had broken into her home. She said she awoke to find the man standing in her room. He then got into her bed and sexually assaulted her.
“DNA evidence was collected and submitted for analysis, however, the suspect remained unidentified until 2015 when the suspect sample matched to a known offender on the National DNA Data Bank,” Richmond RCMP staff said in a release.
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Sharafi’s DNA was in the system due to a different conviction.
Richmond RCMP encourages anyone who has been a victim of crime to report it to the police of jurisdiction.
If you or someone you know is in crisis and needs help, resources are available. In case of an emergency, please call 911 for immediate help.
Are you or someone you know experiencing abuse? Visit the Department of Justice’s Victim Services Directory for a list of support services in your area. Women, trans and non-binary people can find an additional list of resources online.
B.C. resources can also be found online at VictimLinkBC.
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