{"id":269624,"date":"2025-07-17T15:19:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T15:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/269624\/"},"modified":"2025-07-17T15:19:13","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T15:19:13","slug":"ethiopian-asylum-seeker-sexually-assaulted-girl-14-days-after-arriving-in-uk-uk-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/269624\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethiopian asylum seeker ‘sexually assaulted girl, 14, days after arriving in UK’ | UK | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Asylum<\/p>\n

Asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu is accused of sex assaults (Image: -)<\/p>\n

An asylum seeker from Ethiopia is accused of trying to kiss a 14-year-old schoolgirl just days after arriving in the UK on a small boat, a court heard today. Prosecutors allege Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu approached a group of children in Epping, Essex, earlier this month, and asked them for a slice of pizza.<\/p>\n

The 38-year-old is then alleged to have made sexualised comments about making “babies” to the children, before following and trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl. Kebatu is accused of committing three sexual assaults over two days, just eight days after allegedly arriving in the UK by boat.<\/p>\n

On July 8, he is accused of approaching a woman before returning to speak with the same 14-year-old from the previous day and touching her thigh.<\/p>\n

Kebatu denies the sexual assault charges, as well as one of inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and another of harassment without violence.<\/p>\n

\"Hadush<\/p>\n

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, has been charged with three counts of sexual assault (Image: -)<\/p>\n

\"Immigrant<\/p>\n

Local residents gather outside The Bell Hotel in Epping. (Image: Jacqueline Lawrie\/LNP)<\/p>\n

He appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court with short brown hair and a grey t-shirt, and was remanded into custody until a further hearing next month.<\/p>\n

Kebatu, who was assisted by a translator during the hearing, is believed to have been staying at the Bell Hotel in Epping, which has attracted protests since the alleged offences.<\/p>\n

District Judge Christopher Williams set a provisional, two-day trial date for next month.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI know there is a significant amount of public and press interest in this case. I want you to listen to me very carefully. You have pleaded not guilty to these matters.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is going to be a trial, so the court can hear the evidence and determine whether the prosecution can prove the case against you or not.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the moment, the trial is going to be on the 26 and 27 of August at Chelmsford Magistrates\u2019 Court.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs it stands, you will be in custody until that date. You will be produced at court with an interpreter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Immigrant<\/p>\n

Police officers attempt to hold back protestors outside the Bell Hotel. (Image: Jacqueline Lawrie\/LNP)<\/p>\n

District Judge Williams added that there would be several child witnesses at the trial.<\/p>\n

Outlining the charges, the judge said that on July 7, Kebatu approached a group of schoolchildren eating pizza before making sexualised comments and trying to kiss a 14-year-old girl.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also alleged he tried to get the schoolgirl to kiss one of her friends.<\/p>\n

The following day, on July 8, it\u2019s alleged he approached another woman, aged over 18, tried to kiss her, touched her leg and told her she\u2019s “pretty”.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s then alleged to have moved on to the same schoolgirl from the previous day, trying to kiss her again, brushing her hair from her face and touching her thigh.<\/p>\n

The allegations prompted the Conservative leader of Epping Forest District Council, Chris Whitbread, to call for the Bell Hotel to be closed.<\/p>\n

At a planned protest at the hotel on Sunday, two security staff members were reported to have been assaulted by a group of men at a nearby bus stop.<\/p>\n

\"Immigrant<\/p>\n

Local residents protest outside the Bell Hotel. (Image: Jacqueline Lawrie\/LNP)<\/p>\n

Essex Police said the two victims managed to make their way past the protest site and into the hotel, where there was a significant policing presence, to receive help.<\/p>\n

Both victims received hospital treatment for serious, though not life-threatening or life-changing injuries.<\/p>\n

This incident is being investigated extensively by detectives from Loughton CID and is being treated as racially aggravated.<\/p>\n

In another incident on Tuesday, a man was reported to have shouted racial abuse at the hotel and was later said to have caused damage to the building.<\/p>\n

Officers later arrested a man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence and criminal damage.<\/p>\n

Superintendent Tim Tubbs, of Essex Police, said in a statement released to the press: \u201cI am acutely aware of the strength of feeling locally, specifically on an ongoing police investigation which at this stage has seen one man charged with a number of sexual offences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat case is continuing to progress through the court, and the suspect was remanded into custody after a hearing last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know there is significant discussion about this ongoing case within the community and, indeed, further afield.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs the police, [we] must be limited in what we say whilst a criminal investigation is progressing through the courts and the last thing we want is for any public discussion to hinder an ongoing prosecution.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe understand people\u2019s right to make their voices heard on issues which matter to them. We don\u2019t seek to stifle this.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who do this peacefully, lawfully and responsibly cause us \u2013 and the wider public \u2013 no concern.<\/p>\n

\u201cHowever, we can never and will never tolerate criminal violence of any sort and anyone identified as committing crime will be dealt with robustly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere will continue to be a very visible policing presence in Epping in the coming days to ensure the safety of our community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019ve got concerns or information you feel we need to know, please do not hesitate to contact those officers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another short hearing, when Kebatu will attend via video link and be remanded into custody again until his trial date, will take place on August 13 at Basildon Magistrates Court.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Asylum seeker Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu is accused of sex assaults (Image: -) An asylum seeker from Ethiopia is…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":269625,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,4],"tags":[102493,102492,102490,40,5804,12,102491,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-269624","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uk","8":"category-united-kingdom","9":"tag-chelmsford-magistrates-court","10":"tag-epping-protests","11":"tag-ethiopian-asylum-seeker","12":"tag-immigration","13":"tag-migrant-crisis","14":"tag-news","15":"tag-sexual-assault-charges","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114869250755084916","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269624","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=269624"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/269624\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/269625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=269624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=269624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=269624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}