Asylum seekers ‘gang-raped vulnerable woman on beach as she made her way home from night out, with one filming ordeal’, trial told
Asylum seekers ‘gang-raped vulnerable woman on beach as she made her way home from night out, with one filming ordeal’, trial told
A woman described as ‘extremely vulnerable’ was subjected to a brutal gang rape by three asylum seekers, who mocked her during the attack while one captured the events on video, according to court testimony.
The incident occurred on Brighton beach as the woman returned from a night out with friends. Prosecutors revealed that the perpetrators dragged her to a secluded pebbled area near a wall, where they took turns sexually assaulting her. The woman, whose identity remains confidential, was left bloodied and intermittently conscious during the attack.
Prosecution highlights predatory nature of assault
Opening the case, Hanna Llewellyn-Waters emphasized that the victim was ‘pretty much incapacitated’ after separating from her companion during the early hours of October 4 last year. She was reportedly alone and vulnerable at the time of the assault.
“Instead of offering her help or even just leaving her be, these defendants targeted her. And that targeting was not founded in good will or bonhomie, high spirits—it was cynical, predatory and callous,” said the prosecutor.
The victim described the experience as deeply degrading, with one of the attackers spitting into her mouth while filming. She recounted hearing men laughing around her and feeling her soul ‘leaving her body’ during the attack.
Three individuals are charged: two for the physical rape and a third for encouraging the assaults and sharing intimate footage. Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, denies recording the woman during the attack. Iranian Abdulla Amih Ahmadi, 26, and Egyptian Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, are each accused of raping the woman twice.
Drugs and intoxication factor in case
The court was told the woman had been offered drugs at the Horizon nightclub earlier in the evening but declined them. However, evidence suggests she may have been spiked, leaving her in a state of severe intoxication. Prosecutors noted that she was ‘falling over drunk,’ unable to control her movements or maintain balance.
During her police interview, the woman described a surreal sensation, comparing the moment she saw a light in her face to the flash of a smartphone camera. She heard a foreign accent repeatedly shout: “Dirty bitch, dirty bitch,” as the attack unfolded.
Jurors viewed footage of the woman lying motionless on the beach, her eyes closed while two men penetrated her. One clip from Al-Danasurt’s phone showed Ahmadi covering his face with his hand, possibly to avoid being seen on camera. Another pixelated clip displayed Alshafe lifting his head to pose for the camera, smiling and sticking his tongue out.
Defendants’ movements post-incident
Ahmadi fled the Cisswood House Hotel, where the trio resided as Home Office-approved asylum seekers, the day after the alleged rapes. He moved to an address in Crewe without prior consent and was arrested by police the following week.
