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 sexual assault by three asylum seekers who laughed and spat at her while one captured the incident on video, according to court proceedings.
Details of the attack
The alleged perpetrators reportedly treated her as ‘meat,’ dragging her to a secluded section of Brighton beach where they took turns raping her. The woman, who remains unnamed, recounted being left bloodied and losing consciousness intermittently during the assault.
Mobile phone footage from the event showed one of the attackers posing for the camera and sticking out his tongue, suggesting the act was not only physical but also meant for entertainment. Two of the three individuals are accused of committing the sexual assault, while the third is charged with four counts of rape by encouraging the attack and recording parts of it.
Prosecution’s opening statement
“Instead of offering her help or even just leaving her be, these defendants targeted her,” said Hanna Llewellyn-Waters, who opened the prosecution case. “The targeting was not based on kindness or joy—it was calculated, predatory, and heartless. To these defendants, she was a target, a vessel for their desires.”
The prosecution argued that the defendants aimed to achieve sexual gratification by overpowering someone who was unable to resist. “They wanted sex, and that could be achieved by being with someone in no state to fight back,” the prosecutor emphasized.
Victim’s account
The woman, in her early thirties, testified that she was separated from her friend during the attack. She described being grabbed by the man filming and having her mouth opened as he spat at her. “It felt like my soul was leaving my body,” she said.
Jurors were shown footage of the woman lying motionless on her back, eyes closed, as two men penetrated her. A clip from Al-Danasurt’s phone revealed Ahmadi covering his face with his hand, possibly to obscure his identity from the camera. Another pixelated clip showed Alshafe lifting his head to face the lens, smiling and sticking out his tongue.
Background on the suspects
The accused individuals were residents of Cisswood House Hotel in Horsham, a facility approved by the Home Office for asylum seekers and those appealing their immigration status. Ahmadi, 26, fled the hotel the day after the alleged attacks without Home Office permission, moving to Crewe. He was later apprehended by police the following week.
Earlier in the evening, the woman had been offered drugs at the Horizon nightclub but declined. However, the prosecution suggested she may have been spiked, leaving her in a state of intoxication. “I’ve been drunk many times, but never felt this way before,” she stated, recalling seeing a flash of light in her face and hearing a foreign accent mock her.
