Three man jailed for raping woman on Brighton beach

Three men convicted of the rape of a woman on Brighton beach have been jailed for a total of over 60 years.

Police were called to the beach in Brighton at around 5am on Sunday, 5 October, to a report that a woman in a vulnerable state had been taken to the beach by three men and attacked.

The victim – a woman in her 30s – was able to escape and raise the alarm, triggering an urgent police investigation while she was supported by specialist officers and our partners.

CCTV footage from a nearby nightclub identified all three suspects, who had scanned their ID cards on entering the club as part of the venue’s own security measures.

They were identified as Abdulla Ahmadi, 26, Ibrahim Alshafe, 26, and Karin Al-Danasurt, 21, located and arrested.

Footage of the attack was found on the phone of Al-Danasurt, who sought to claim in his defence he had not been an active participant in the rape.

Alshafe and Ahmadi were subsequently charged with two counts of rape, while Al-Danasurt was charged with four counts of rape and sharing intimate images. All three were remanded in custody.

Ahmadi, an Iranian national from Crewe, and Al-Danasurt and Alshafe – both Egyptian nationals from Horsham, all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Following a trial at Hove Crown Court concluding on Thursday, 23 April, a jury found all three defendants guilty of all counts of rape and remanded in custody. The charge of sharing intimate images against Al-Danasurt was removed.

At the same court on Wednesday (15 July), Ahmadi and Alshafe were each sentenced to 21 years behind bars, while Al-Danasurt was sentenced to 18 years and six months. All three were also given extended licences of six years.

Chief Superintendent Karrie Bohanna, Sussex Police’s lead for Violence Against Women and Girls said: "Although these three offenders are now behind bars, the impact of their appalling crimes will be with the victim for a lifetime.

"The trauma linked to offences such as these cannot be overstated. I hope this strong young woman is able to look to her future with optimism, and with the knowledge that thanks to her, three dangerous, predatory men no longer pose a threat to women and girls in Sussex.

"My thanks also extend to the investigative team and our partners for their work and support throughout this process.

"Protecting women and girls is a top priority, particularly around Brighton’s night-time economy and seafront. We and our partners are investing significant time, resources and activity to keep people safe, identify vulnerable people and deter offending.

"Significant improvements to the way we investigate reports of rape also mean we have a greater opportunity to achieve convictions such as these, while ensuring victims receive the specialist support they need from us and our partners."

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