Hadush Kebatu Convicted of Sexual Assault in Epping
On Thursday, a 41-year-old migrant, Hadush Kebatu, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in Epping, Essex. This verdict follows a series of protests outside a local hotel housing asylum seekers, reports 24brussels.
Kebatu initially attempted to kiss the girl on July 7 while making “sexually explicit comments.” The following day, he encountered the same victim and again tried to kiss her before sexually assaulting her, according to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
In addition to the sexual assault conviction, Kebatu was found guilty of attempted sexual assault, inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity, harassment without violence, and the sexual assault of another woman who reported his actions to the police. The CPS highlighted that both victims provided remarkably similar accounts of Kebatu’s behavior and language.
Rebecca Mundy, the deputy chief crown prosecutor for CPS East of England, stated, “The CPS is determined to pursue justice for victims, working with our law enforcement partners to hold sex offenders accountable.”
Following Kebatu’s arrest and subsequent charge on July 13, protests erupted around the Bell Hotel in Epping. On July 17, these protests led to violent confrontations, resulting in injuries to eight police officers.
The Epping Forest District Council had sought a temporary High Court injunction to require the migrants to vacate the hotel by September 12; however, the Court of Appeal subsequently overturned this order and decided against referring the case to the Supreme Court.
As of August, the Home Office reported that 50,271 individuals, mostly having successfully claimed asylum, arrived in Britain by small boats across the English Channel since the Labour government took power in July 2024. Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, noted that the government hopes enforcement actions and a returns agreement with France will curb asylum applications, but current data shows no indication of this trend.
Anti-immigration protests continue to sweep through England, marked by the display of the Saint George’s Cross and Union Jack. While supporters see this as a display of national pride, critics contend that it conveys an unwelcoming message to asylum seekers and those labeled as “illegal immigrants.”
