A Channel migrant has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after sexually assaulting an “extremely vulnerable” teenage girl with learning difficulties in West London.
Aron Hadsh, 27, from Eritrea, was living in taxpayer-funded hotel accommodation near Heathrow when he attacked the 19-year-old victim in June last year, a court heard on Friday.
The victim, who has multiple learning difficulties and presents as “very childlike,” was walking to a foodbank to collect fruit for her mother when Hadsh pursued her to a park in Fulham and subjected her to a prolonged assault.
Details of the Attack
The court heard that Hadsh pinned the vulnerable young woman to his lap, grabbed her breasts and touched her crotch for several minutes during the horrific ordeal in the park.
The teenager eventually managed to escape from her attacker, who reportedly laughed as she fled the scene. The assault has had a devastating impact on the victim, who told the court she felt her “body shut down” during the attack.
Hadsh, who illegally entered the UK approximately three years ago after crossing the Channel, was apprehended five weeks after the assault when his victim spotted him whilst out shopping.
Members of the public detained the 27-year-old until police arrived to arrest him, demonstrating community intervention in bringing the perpetrator to justice.
Victim’s Vulnerability
The court heard evidence highlighting the victim’s extreme vulnerability, with testimony revealing she has several learning difficulties and an exceptionally childlike presentation that made her particularly susceptible to exploitation.
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the young woman said: “On the day it happened it made me feel very nervous and scared. I felt that my body shut down.”
She added: “All my life it has been hard to make friends, and this has put me back in my own bubble. I was scared to see him again, in case he would kill me, because he was laughing after he ran off and sexually assaulted me.”
The statement underscored the lasting psychological impact of the assault on an already vulnerable individual struggling with social connections.
Sentencing and Judge’s Comments
Judge Alastair Rolf Hammerton sentenced Hadsh to 14 months in prison and imposed a five-year restraining order protecting the victim from any contact with her attacker.
The judge acknowledged that Hadsh was intoxicated at the time of the offence and assessed him as posing “a high risk of sexual reoffending,” emphasising the serious nature of the threat he represents to public safety.
“Your victim was an extremely vulnerable person. She felt scared and vulnerable,” Judge Hammerton told the defendant during sentencing.
He also noted: “I understand your conditions in prison are more challenging because English is not your first language,” whilst maintaining the necessity of the custodial sentence.
Lack of Remorse
The court heard that Hadsh showed no remorse for his actions and continued to plead his innocence from the dock during sentencing proceedings.
The defendant was convicted of one count of sexual assault following trial in May. He was acquitted of a separate kidnapping charge related to the same incident.
Hadsh appeared at his sentencing hearing without legal representation after dismissing his counsel during the trial, further complicating proceedings.
Despite the judge’s assessment that Hadsh poses a “high risk of serious harm to the public,” he will avoid spending additional time in custody as he has already served nearly a year on remand, meaning he will be released imminently.
Wider Context
The case comes amid ongoing debates about asylum accommodation and public safety. Government figures show that as of December 2024, approximately 37% of asylum seekers were housed in contingency accommodation, primarily hotels, across the UK.
The use of hotels near major transport hubs like Heathrow has been a particular point of controversy, with the Home Office spending an estimated £8 million daily on asylum accommodation at the height of the crisis.
Sexual assault sentencing guidelines indicate that offences against particularly vulnerable victims typically result in enhanced sentences, with courts required to consider the victim’s personal circumstances as an aggravating factor.
Under UK law, sexual assault carries a maximum sentence of 10 years imprisonment, though sentences vary significantly based on the category of harm and culpability of the offender.
Support for Victims
The case highlights the importance of specialist support services for vulnerable victims of sexual violence. Organisations across London provide dedicated assistance to those affected by sexual assault, with particular focus on supporting individuals with learning difficulties who may face additional challenges in reporting crimes and navigating the justice system.
The restraining order imposed will provide some measure of protection for the victim, prohibiting Hadsh from making any contact with her for five years following his release from custody.
As this case demonstrates, community vigilance played a crucial role in apprehending the perpetrator, with members of the public intervening when the victim recognised her attacker weeks after the assault.
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