'Tip of the iceberg' - Police publish ‘appalling’ messages Chichester rapist sent to one of his victims

George De Bathe, 25 – of North Mead in Chichester – was convicted this week after he raped and controlled multiple women.

Sussex Police said De Bathe subjected his victims to a ‘catalogue of physical, sexual and psychological violence’, over a four-year period.

The police force has now published some of the social media messages the abuser sent to one of his victims.

A Sussex Police Facebook post read: “These manipulative, controlling texts are the tip of the iceberg of George De Bathe’s abusive behaviour.

“De Bathe, 25, subjected five women to appalling sexual, physical and psychological abuse, seeking to control their lives from what they wore, to when they slept and who they saw.

“Yesterday he was found guilty of 23 charges, including six counts of rape.

“He will be sentenced on 11 July.

“If messages and behaviour like this feels familiar, please know help is available and there is a way out. Please report to the police online, via 101 or 999 in an emergency.”

De Bathe was arrested after one of his victims made a report to Sussex Police in 2018. She had been abused ‘over a period of several months’, police said.

She also ‘contacted multiple women’ connected with De Bathe, to ‘warn them of his behaviour’ and see if they had had similar experiences, police said.