Two asylum seekers who raped a vulnerable woman on Brighton beach, while a third filmed the ordeal, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Egyptian national Ibrahim Alshafe, 26, and Iranian national Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, each received 21 years for raping the woman on October 4 last year. Egyptian national Karin Al-Danasurt, 21, was sentenced to 18 years and six months for encouraging and filming the assault. All three will serve an additional six years on extended licence, the court at Hove Crown Court ruled on Wednesday.
Predatory Attack on Vulnerable Victim
The court heard that the men targeted the woman as she was 'staggering in the street' and 'incapacitated' in the early hours of October. Alshafe and Ahmadi led her behind a beach hut in the seaside city and raped her, while Al-Danasurt recorded the assault on his phone. The victim recalled being spat on, kicked, and having her throat seized during the attack, according to the Daily Star.
Prosecutor Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC described the men as 'devoid of humanity' and said their treatment of the woman was 'entirely predatory, callous and contemptuous'. The impact on the woman was 'extreme', she added.
Victim Impact Statement
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said: 'They destroyed my life that night, they took something from me nobody had the right to do so. They violated me in every way.' She added: 'They took something from me that night I'm afraid I will never get back. To not take accountability for their actions (is) like sticking a knife in and twisting it again.'
The woman also told the court that when she closes her eyes, she visualises the man filming the assault and them all 'laughing at me'. 'My skin crawls. No matter how hard I scrub it, I still feel dirty,' she said.
Judge's Sentencing Remarks
Sentencing the men, Judge Christine Henson KC stated: 'Each of you participated in an entirely predatory and callous attack on a female separated from her friends after what had been a fun night out for her. You each treated her with contempt and you each played a role in degrading her in the most appalling way.'
Alshafe and Ahmadi were convicted of two counts of rape, while Al-Danasurt was found guilty of four counts of rape as a secondary party by encouraging and filming the assault.
Background of the Attackers
The three defendants, who knew each other, were residing at Home Office-approved hotel accommodation for asylum seekers in Lower Beeding, near Horsham, West Sussex. Ahmadi and Alshafe met on a small boat from France arriving in the UK on June 19, 2025, while Alshafe and Al-Danasurt, who arrived in the UK on October 11, 2024, were roommates at the hotel. The trio prepared at the hotel before taking a bus into Brighton on the night of October 3.
A Snapchat video showed them in front of a mirror at approximately 7.30pm at the hotel, with Ahmadi adjusting a durag on Al-Danasurt, who gestured to the camera and grinned, while being filmed by Alshafe.
Night Out and Attack
During their night out, the men visited a beachside bar and nightclub where Alshafe conversed with a woman via Google Translate about his aspirations to marry, have children and acquire UK citizenship. The prosecution suggested he had been a 'nasty little predator' that evening, having been spurned by several women and was 'on the prowl' alongside the co-defendants.
Following the assault, the men returned to their hotel by bus and later had a barbecue, around the same time the woman was awaiting medical examination. Throughout the trial, all three men testified through translators to deny the offences.
Ms Llewellyn-Waters stated their testimonies offered a 'clear and chilling insight into a wholly warped mindset' and a 'total lack of remorse'. Alshafe and Ahmadi claimed the encounter was consensual, asserting the woman approached them on the seafront, kissed and touched them both, and led them to the beach.
The court viewed footage of the woman stumbling while walking with Ahmadi and Alshafe along the seafront. Al-Danasurt told jurors he attempted to halt the attack by filming it, which the prosecutor dismissed as a 'pack of lies'. The footage showed Alshafe grinning and poking his tongue out during the assault, while also striking the woman across the face.
Deportation Pledge
Ministers have pledged to deport the men following their sentencing. On Wednesday, the prosecution argued the sentencing court should reach its decision regarding the danger posed by the defendants 'without regards to possibility that one day a defendant may be deported'.
