A migrant who had his asylum application denied just a day earlier is accused of taking part in the gang rape of a woman on Brighton beach, according to court reports. The alleged attack involved two Egyptian men and one Iranian Kurdish man, who are all said to be failed asylum seekers.
The three suspects — Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, from Egypt, and Abdulla Ahmadi, 25, from Iran — appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, where their trial was scheduled for March 16 next year. Prosecutor John Livingstone described it as a “high-profile, very serious case.”
According to the prosecution, the 33-year-old victim was dragged across the pebble beach and subjected to a brutal assault after leaving a nightclub in Brighton in the early hours of October 4. She was reportedly vulnerable and intoxicated at the time of the incident.
Investigators said Alshafe had just learned that his asylum claim to remain in the UK had been rejected only hours before the alleged attack. Both Egyptian suspects were living in a Home Office-managed migrant hotel in Sussex, while Ahmadi was residing in Crewe, Cheshire.
The woman told police she was taken to a secluded spot on the beach, where she was orally and vaginally raped by all three men. The case has sparked public outrage and renewed scrutiny of the UK’s asylum system and monitoring of failed asylum seekers.
A Home Office spokesperson called the allegations “shocking” and confirmed that the department is receiving “regular updates from Sussex Police.”
Detective Superintendent Andy Harbour expressed sympathy for the victim and said the case has deeply affected the community. “I understand how distressing this incident will be, and our operations to protect women and girls will continue in earnest,” he said.
The three accused men are due to reappear in court next month, ahead of a three-week trial expected to begin in March 2026.