Asylum seeker convicted of sex assault on teen that sparked UK protests

An Ethiopian asylum seeker, whose arrest in July sparked angry protests outside the hotel near London where he and other migrants were being housed, was found guilty on Thursday of sexually assaulting a teenage girl and another woman.

The protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, about 30km (20 miles) north of the British capital, became a touchpaper for a string of country-wide demonstrations amid rising tensions over immigration.

Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was convicted at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl and a woman, attempting to sexually assault the girl, inciting her to engage in sexual activity and one count of harassment.

“This was an incident which became a cause of deep concern for the local community,” said Rebecca Mundy, a prosecutor in the case.

Immigration has become the dominant political issue in Britain, eclipsing concerns over a faltering economy, as the country faces both a record number of asylum claims and arrivals by migrants in small boats across the Channel.

Prosecutors said that on July 7 the girl had offered him pizza because he looked hungry and he had then tried to kiss her, put his hand on her thigh and said he wanted a baby with her and her friend, before inviting them back to the hotel.