Particle.news
Download on the App Store
12 ARTICLES
·
3d ago

Chelmsford Magistrates' Court Convicts Epping Asylum Hotel Resident of Sexual Assaults

The July incidents linked to Epping’s Bell Hotel set off protests that later spread to other sites using hotels for asylum accommodation.

People protest outside Epping Forest District Council, after the British government won a court ruling resulting in asylum seekers not being evicted from The Bell Hotel in Epping, Britain, August 31, 2025. REUTERS/Jack Taylor/File Photo
Protesters gather outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, near London, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025 after a temporary injunction that would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel was overturned. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Police officers escort protesters near the Bell Hotel in Epping, London, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025 after a temporary injunction that would have blocked asylum seekers from being housed at the hotel was overturned. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)
Image

Overview

  • Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and an adult woman in Epping, Essex.
  • The court also convicted him of attempted sexual assault, inciting the girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment without violence.
  • District judge Christopher Williams delivered guilty verdicts after a brief deliberation and set sentencing for a later date.
  • Testimony described attempts to kiss, inappropriate comments, and touching the victims during incidents on July 7 and 8.
  • The defendant, an Ethiopian asylum seeker residing at the Bell Hotel, denied the charges during a three-day trial.