Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A British judge has sentenced an asylum-seeker to 12 months in prison for sexually assaulting a woman and a 14-year-old girl, charges that sparked a wave of angry protests against migrants across the United Kingdom, reported AP.
Ethiopian national Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was found guilty of five offenses, including sexual assault, inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity and harassment.
Kebatu’s arrest and prosecution prompted thousands of people to protest outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, northeast of London, where he was staying along with other newlyarrived migrants. Multiple protests targeting other hotels housing migrants followed in other British cities and towns, with some demonstrations attended by far-right activists and spilling into disorder. The group Stand up to Racism also rallied counterprotests.
Prosecutors said Kebatu, 41, had arrived in England by boat just over a week before the July day when he approached the 14-year-old in Epping, attempted to kiss her and placed his hand on the girl’s thigh. They said he also sexually assaulted a female member of the public who intervened.
