Asylum seekers living at The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, have expressed anger after a migrant housed with them was convicted of sexual offences against a 14-year-old girl. The case has shocked both the asylum community and residents, raising tension in the area.
The man, Hadush Kebatu from Ethiopia, was found guilty at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court following a three-day trial. Prosecutors said that on 7 July, he approached a teenage girl and her friend and told them to “come back to Africa, you would be a good wife.” The following day, he tried to kiss the girl, touched her thigh, and became visibly aroused while asking her to kiss her friend. A woman who intervened to protect the child was also assaulted when Kebatu touched her leg.
Kebatu, who told the court he was born in 1986, said he was 38, but his age was officially recorded as 41. He was found guilty of two sexual assaults, harassment of the girl, inciting her to engage in sexual activity, and attempted sexual assault. The judge warned him to expect a prison sentence when he is sentenced on 23 September.
Mohamed, a 45-year-old asylum seeker from Somalia who has been at the hotel for five months, said the migrant community was shocked by Kebatu’s actions. “He’s gone and we hope he doesn’t come back again,” Mohamed said, explaining that Kebatu was known to drink alcohol and cause disturbances with other men in the hotel. He added that the offences have created more hostility toward asylum seekers in Epping. “The population now don’t like the asylum seekers because it’s a shock what he did to a small girl.”
Local campaigners also reacted to the case. Sue Russo, from the community group Epping For Everyone, said they welcomed the verdict. She stressed that support for the young victim was most important. Protests have already taken place outside The Bell Hotel since the allegations against Kebatu became public, adding to national debates about asylum seekers being placed in hotels.
The case has left asylum seekers at the hotel concerned that one man’s crimes will affect how the wider community views them. “What he did is wrong,” Mohamed said. “It’s an older man and she is a small girl. We don’t accept that.”
Kebatu will be sentenced on 23 September, but for many in Epping, the damage to community relations has already been done.