An Egyptian man who sought asylum in the UK has been sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for raping a woman in London’s Hyde Park.
Abdelrahmen Adnan Abouelela, 42, was convicted at Southwark Crown Court of attacking the victim in November last year. He had been staying at a Hilton hotel in Ealing while his asylum claim was processed.
The Metropolitan Police released a custody photograph of Abouelela after a legal challenge by the Daily Mail. The image shows him wearing a white T-shirt and looking directly at the camera.
During the trial, jurors heard that Abouelela approached the woman, who was walking alone after a night out, and led her to a secluded area of the park where he assaulted her. Judge Gregory Perrins told him:
“It must have been obvious to you that she was vulnerable. You made the decision to take advantage of her… You simply did not care that she could not consent.”
The court heard that Abouelela entered the UK in April 2023, claiming he had been tortured and imprisoned for political reasons in Egypt. His wife and son live in Turkey. A psychiatric assessment diagnosed him with emotionally unstable personality disorder and complex PTSD, though the judge ruled this had only minimal relevance to the crime.
Judge Perrins praised the survivor’s “immense bravery” in testifying during the trial. A jury found Abouelela guilty of one count of rape in May.
Under UK immigration law, anyone jailed for more than 12 months is subject to automatic deportation. Abouelela will face removal from the UK after serving his sentence.
