How being raped was a 'death sentence' for Levi
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Nikki Mitchell
South of England home affairs correspondent
Levi had six brothers and sisters who hope, that by sharing her story, more survivors of sexual violence will seek help
Warning: this article contains upsetting content
"It's haunted me since we found her," said Michelle Davies, who discovered her daughter Levi dead "one year and one day" after she was raped in a Southampton park.
"Over that year, as a family, we watched her shatter into pieces," Michelle said.
"The rape killed her the day of the attack - it just took a year for it to happen."
Levi Davies, 20, from Andover, died in February 2024 after taking a lethal amount of the class B drug, ketamine.
Michelle will never know if the overdose was planned or accidental, as an inquest into her death did not determine her intentions and recorded an "open" conclusion.
Her family is sharing her story to highlight the profound mental torment experienced by survivors of sexual violence and the need for "longer term" support.
River Davies
River Davies said his twin sister Levi 'was like another part of my soul'
Levi had "so much energy you could feel her the other side of a door," said her twin brother, River, 22, as he recalled her strength and the special bond between them.
"There was no moment where she wasn't present, even if she was away and I was busy, it was another version of myself to have a conversation with."
Another of Levi's six siblings, Oscar, 19, remembered: "Every time I had a bully, she'd sort the bully out.
"She was a sister in every way, she was just the best, in every way that counted."
Michelle agreed Levi was "totally family orientated".
"Growing up, she was strong and had dreams", she said and described how Levi and her toddler son had moved into a flat, she had a job and "everything had just fallen into place" for her.
Then, she said "all of a sudden she was attacked" and "slowly her life fell apart a bit at a time".
Family photo
Levi's mother Michelle Davies said before the attack "everything had fallen into place" for her daughter
Levi, then 19, had stayed at a hotel in Southampton after a night out.
She had been drinking heavily and at about 07:00 GMT on Sunday 19 February 2023, she decided to go out for a walk to "try and sober up".
She asked a passerby for the time, but instead of helping her, the man, Rosario Dos Reis, 28, led her "into the bushes in Palmerston Park" and raped her, repeatedly.
Levi eventually managed to mouth the word "help" to a woman walking past, who shouted and called 999, putting an end to her "petrifying" ordeal.
BBC Action Line
Her family are grateful to Hampshire Police for treating Levi with care as well as catching her attacker.
In a victim impact statement read out later in court, Levi said: "This man has changed my life forever - it's a life sentence I didn't deserve."
Michelle explained: "Levi was incredibly strong, but at the same time Levi was broken, she just wanted to forget it had ever happened.
"But then she was telling me about the nightmares, waking up, seeing a demon in her bedroom, being unable to scream, just frozen."
Levi's identity was protected when she spoke to BBC correspondent, Nikki Mitchell, about her rape in 2023
In my role as home affairs correspondent,
I met Levi shortly before her rapist was jailed
.
I could tell she was nervous about being interviewed, but I also detected that fierce inner strength described by her family - a determination to tell her story and lend her voice to other survivors and victims unable to speak out.
During her interview she conceded that going through the criminal justice process was "very scary", but said she had "plenty of support" and felt compelled to help get her rapist off the streets.
"It would have been a lot harder not to do something about it," she told me, "I would have been stuck with that feeling of guilt, of not reporting it, in case there was another girl."
While I could tell Levi was struggling, like her family, I did not foresee the heartbreak to come.
Levi's twin brother, River and her mum, Michelle want survivors to know 'support is available' and they are 'not alone'
In September 2023
Levi's rapist, Dos Reis, was jailed
for eight years and four months, with an extended six-year licensing period.
With the criminal court proceedings over, Levi told her brother River how she had hoped for a fresh start but then realised everything she felt was "still there" and "nothing had changed".
River recalled that "she just shrunk and shrunk until it was like watching an impersonator trying to be my sister from memory."
Michelle described how Levi asked "different services" for help, but when appointments came through, she couldn't go because "it frightened her" and "increasingly" she turned to drugs to "shut it all off".
On 19 February 2024 - the one-year anniversary of the rape - Michelle said Levi had arranged a sleepover for her son with family.
She had planned a meal out with a friend to "mark the fact she'd actually managed to survive a whole year" since the assault.
Unknown to her family she had later cancelled and the next day they found her dead in her flat.
With tears in her eyes Michelle remembered: "Opening that living room door and just seeing her face... she'd passed away... there was literally no going back.
"People need to realise the longer-term impact that sexual violence actually has."
Family photo
Levi had arranged for her young son to stay with family on the night she died
Michelle continued: "You see someone's been attacked and it's sad and people sympathise, they get a few messages.
"But it doesn't stop there, it gets worse-and-worse, their smile isn't real, they're struggling, just because it's not in the news anymore doesn't mean it's gone.
"Attacks like this destroy lives, not just hers, but her twin brother lost his twin, a little boy lost his mum and parents lost their daughter, the effect of what he's done is going to last generations."
River emphasised: "The weight of shame that victims feel should not be on their shoulders, they shouldn't have to spend every moment questioning themselves and we don't talk about it because it's messy, because it's emotional.
"We tell ourselves these women are so brave, when they're terrified of their shadow because it reminds them of the man behind them.
"I hope every victim that sits at home terrified, thinking they're alone, knows they're not the only one and there is support available."
Family photo
Levi comes from a big family and, along with the her twin brother River, was the oldest of her siblings
The CEO of Rape Crisis England & Wales, Ciara Bergman, said "anniversaries are known to be a particularly difficult time" and the "right" support is "vitally important".
"Our thoughts are with all those who knew and loved Levi, particularly her family who are so poignantly raising awareness of the profound and enduring distress that sexual violence and abuse inflicts on survivors," she said.
"Poor mental health, including PTSD, anxiety and depression, is one of the most significant and lasting consequences."
To survivors she added: "We will listen to you, believe you, and work at your pace to figure out what support you need."
Rapist, Dos Reis is originally from East Timor and is still in prison. The Home Office called his attack on Levi "abhorrent" and said: "We will deport this individual at the earliest opportunity."
If you, or someone you know, have been affected by the issues raised, information on organisations that can help can be found on the
BBC Action Line
.
More on this story
Woman recalls park rape as attacker jailed
CCTV shows moment police approach rapist
Rape charge after woman attacked in city park
Related internet links
Rape Crisis
Sexual violence
Andover
Southampton
Hampshire & Isle of Wight
Mental health
PTSD