Small Boat Arrival Hadush Kebatu Faces Trial for Alleged Sexual Assault of 14-Year-Old in Essex Town
An Ethiopian migrant who arrived in Britain on a small boat faces multiple sexual assault charges, including allegedly targeting a 14-year-old schoolgirl just eight days after entering the country, Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court heard.
Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu, 38, allegedly put his hand on the teenager’s thigh, attempted to kiss her and told her he wanted to have a baby with her during incidents in Epping, Essex, on 7 and 8 July. The court heard he arrived in Dover on 29 June alongside 584 other migrants.
The allegations have sparked widespread protests and led to a successful High Court injunction forcing the closure of the Bell Hotel where Kebatu and other asylum seekers were housed. Mr Justice Eyre granted Epping Forest District Council an interim injunction on 19 August, ordering the hotel to cease accommodating asylum seekers by 12 September.
Court Hears Disturbing Allegations
Prosecutor Stuart Cowen told the court that on 7 July, Kebatu approached the schoolgirl and her friends whilst they were eating pizza on a bench in Epping. “He said he wanted to have a baby with the girl and attempted to kiss her,” Mr Cowen said.
The prosecutor alleged that when the group made clear the girls were 14 years old, Kebatu responded that “age did not matter. The court heard he then followed the teenagers to a nearby Tesco.
The following day, 8 July, Kebatu allegedly approached the same girl whilst she was wearing her school uniform. Mr Cowen said: “Similar advances were made and rejected. Such was the girl’s discomfort that a boy came and sat between the girl and the defendant.
The prosecutor told the court that a woman who witnessed the incident tried to intervene but was herself allegedly sexually assaulted by Kebatu, who put his hand on her leg and attempted to kiss her.
Victim Testifies Via Video Link
Giving evidence by video link, the 14-year-old girl described her shock at the alleged incidents. She said Kebatu had approached her group “out of nowhere” and said “I want a baby with you, and with your friend.”
The teenager testified that the following day, whilst in her school uniform, Kebatu allegedly told her: “I want a baby from you, we could make lovely Jamaican babies.
“I was like, I’m 14, this is really weird. But he said, ‘Age doesn’t matter,'” the girl told the court. She added that when Kebatu touched her thigh, her “mind just went blank” because she was “totally shocked”.
During the girl’s testimony, a man in the public gallery, believed to be a family member, pointed at Kebatu and shouted: “Don’t f****** look at her.”
Massive Protests Rock Essex Town
The charges against Kebatu triggered major demonstrations outside the Bell Hotel on 13 July, with anti-immigration protesters clashing with counter-demonstrators from groups including Waltham Forest Stand Up to Racism.
The hotel was vandalized with racist graffiti, windows were smashed, and police erected security fencing to control the situation. Several security guards suffered injuries during the unrest.
Essex Police launched a full investigation into the violence, with officers reviewing body camera footage to identify those responsible. Superintendent Tim Tubbs said police would not tolerate racially motivated crimes or attacks on asylum seekers.
Council leader Chris Whitbread called the situation “unprecedented levels of protest and disruption” and said the Home Office was “not listening” to local concerns.
Second Migrant From Same Hotel Faces Charges
In a separate case, Syrian national Mohammed Sharwarq, 32, who also resided at the Bell Hotel, has been charged with seven offences including sexual assault on a male. The charges faced by the 32-year-old are two counts of common assault, four counts of assault by beating, and one count of sexual assault on a man.
The alleged offences took place between 25 July and 12 August. Sharwarq appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on 13 August where he entered a not guilty plea to the sexual assault charge. He has been remanded in custody until his trial on 30 September.
He is alleged to have kissed a man on the neck and is also accused of punching one man in the face, throwing an object at another, slapping a third and attempting to punch a fourth.
High Court Orders Hotel Closure
Following weeks of protests and mounting pressure, Epping Forest District Council secured a significant legal victory when Mr Justice Eyre granted an interim injunction on 19 August. The Judge observed that the Council’s point that “the Bell [Hotel] is not a hotel for those who are placed there” was a powerful one.
The court ruled there was sufficient evidence of a material change of use constituting a breach of planning control. The balance of convenience took into account the public interest in enforcing planning control and the loss of amenity of local residents, which the Judge held outweighed the public interest in the accommodation of destitute asylum seekers.
Council leader Chris Whitbread welcomed the decision, saying: “This is great news for our residents. The last few weeks have placed an intolerable strain on our community but today we have some great news.”
The Home Office had warned the decision would “substantially impact” its ability to accommodate asylum seekers in hotels but failed in its last-minute attempt to have the case dismissed.
Immigration System Under Strain
The case has highlighted broader tensions around asylum accommodation in Britain. As of July 2024, 213 hotels were in use, rising to 220 by November 2024. Nearly half of all supported asylum seekers are living in hotels, which cost the government over £1 billion annually.
Home Office figures show that 585 migrants arrived on the South Coast on eight dinghies on the same day as Kebatu, 29 June. The department acknowledged the asylum system was “under strain”.
A Home Office spokesperson said: “That was the situation the Government inherited, but we have begun to restore order, with a rapid increase in asylum decision-making and the removal of more than 24,000 people with no right to be in the UK.
Community Safety Concerns Mount
The Bell Hotel’s proximity to five schools and a residential care home has been a major source of concern for local residents. The council says people placed at the hotel are not subject to criminal record checks, raising safety fears among parents and carers.
Local MP Dame Eleanor Laing said the Bell Hotel had been “a major local grievance” for years, sitting less than 500 yards from a co-educational secondary school.
One local mother’s impromptu speech during protests went viral on social media. She declared: “Every child’s right is to walk to school and not fear that they are going to be sexually assaulted or raped. We do not live in a third world country. This is the United Kingdom the last time I looked.”
Trial Set to Continue
Kebatu denies all charges against him, which include three counts of sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity, and harassment without violence. Immigration officials confirmed he has “no ties to anyone or any place in the UK.
The Ethiopian national, who spoke through an interpreter during court proceedings, glared at the prosecutor and occasionally shook his head during the hearing. His trial at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court is set to continue on 26 and 27 August.
Several other men have been charged over alleged disorder outside the hotel during the protests. The case continues to divide the Epping community, with many residents expressing anger over the housing of unvetted asylum seekers whilst others warn against targeting all migrants for the alleged actions of individuals.
As the legal proceedings continue, the broader debate over Britain’s asylum accommodation crisis shows no signs of abating, with the government pledging to end hotel use by 2029 whilst struggling to find alternative solutions.
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