My Skin Crawls': Brighton Beach Gang Rape Victim's Brave Statement Helps Jail and Deport Three Suspects

An unnamed 30-year-old woman who was the victim of a gang rape on Brighton Beach delivered a powerful victim impact statement during the sentencing hearing of her three attackers on Wednesday, 15 July.

Appearing behind a screen at Hove Crown Court, she told the court: 'They destroyed my life that night – they violated me in every way. My skin crawls – no matter how hard I scrub it, I still feel dirty,' speaking in a voice that occasionally cracked with emotion.

The three men convicted of the attack were identified as Egyptian nationals Karim Al-Danasurt, 21, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 26, and Iranian national Abdulla Ahmadi, 26. The men, who had arrived in the UK by small boat and whose asylum claims have since been refused, were sentenced to lengthy prison terms and are expected to be deported after serving their sentences.

The Heartbreaking Witness Statement

Even though the victim wasn't visible to the public while speaking in court, her emotions were felt through her cracking voice and detailed recollection of the brutal 25-minute ordeal.

The incident occurred on 4 October after a night of drinking, which, in the words of the victim, left her 'paralytically drunk.' She told the court she was approached by the three men at about 5:45am after becoming separated from her friends and was led down a ramp towards the beach just minutes later.

According to the prosecution, she was taken behind a beach patrol shack, where Ahmadi and Alshafe raped her while Al-Danasurt filmed the assault on his mobile phone. The footage reportedly showed the men laughing, while the person filming repeatedly called the victim a 'dirty bitch.'

'Every time I close my eyes, I can see them laughing at me. Every night it bothers me. They thought it was funny. It wasn't consensual at all. They have literally ruined my whole life,' the victim told the court.

The Sentencing of the Small-Boat Migrants

Judge Christine Henson KC found the three suspects' arrogance shown in the video to be present during the hearing as well. The trio constantly tried to deflect, lie, and blame others for their crime, which the Judge said offered a chilling insight into their warped mindsets.

Hanna Llewellyn-Waters KC also described the assailants as people who simply saw the victim as meat and that they're 'devoid of humanity.'

The two men who carried out the rape claimed the sex had been consensual, while Al-Danasurt said he had filmed the incident for evidential purposes.

These claims were deflected by the victim, who stated, 'I didn't say they could do that. My skin crawls because of what they did to me. They're evil, and they've ruined my life.'

The judge praised the victim for her 'tremendous bravery' in recalling the events that unfolded that fateful night.

Hove Crown Court found Ahmadi and Alshafe guilty of two counts of rape, facing a 21-year jail term. Al-Danasurt, who was found guilty of four counts of rape as a secondary party for encouraging and filming the rapes, was handed a prison sentence of 18 years and six months.

Deportation Expected

The three men's asylum claims have been refused, and they are expected to face deportation after serving their prison sentences.

Border Security and Asylum Minister Alex Norris said: 'We will do everything in our power to get them out of the country.'