LONDON (BN24) — An Ethiopian asylum seeker whose arrest triggered angry protests outside a migrant hotel near London has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and another woman, in a case that fueled nationwide tensions over immigration.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, who had been living at the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 20 miles (30 kilometers) north of London, was convicted Thursday at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on multiple counts, including sexually assaulting the girl and the woman, attempting to sexually assault the teenager, inciting her to engage in sexual activity, and harassment.
The assaults in July sparked protests that at times turned violent outside the hotel, which was being used to house asylum seekers. Demonstrations soon spread to other parts of the country as immigration debates intensified. The case has since become emblematic of the wider political battle over Britain’s record number of asylum claims and rising arrivals of migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats.
Prosecutors said Kebatu first approached the 14-year-old on July 7 after she offered him pizza because he appeared hungry. He then tried to kiss her, placed his hand on her thigh, and told her he wanted to have a baby with her and her friend before inviting them back to the hotel. The following day, he again tried to kiss the girl while she was wearing her school uniform.
“This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community,” prosecutor Rebecca Mundy told the court.
District Judge Christopher Williams said the teenager had remained consistent throughout her testimony and dismissed Kebatu’s claims that the girl and other witnesses fabricated their accounts.
Kebatu denied the allegations, insisting he was “not a wild animal.” He told the court he had previously worked as a teacher in Ethiopia and claimed the woman involved had given him her phone number and invited him to her home.
His arrest immediately drew crowds of demonstrators outside the Bell Hotel. Local officials sought a temporary injunction to prevent asylum seekers from being housed there, but the order was overturned last week following a government appeal.
Opposition politicians accused Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government of prioritizing the rights of migrants over community concerns. The protests added fuel to a heated national debate in which immigration has overtaken economic concerns as the country’s dominant political issue.
More than 32,000 asylum seekers are currently housed in hotels across Britain, according to government figures through the end of June. The government has pledged to end the practice by the next general election, which must be held no later than 2029.
