An asylum seeker living in Ealing has been jailed for raping a woman in Hyde Park.
Abdelrahmen Adnan Abouelela, 42, was sentenced to eight and a half years at Southwark Crown Court after jurors found him guilty of one count of rape on 22 May.
The married father-of-one attacked his victim in November 2024 after approaching her as she walked home alone from a night out in central London. He lured her to a secluded area of the park where he raped her.
Judge Gregory Perrins told the defendant, whose address was given as a hotel in Ealing: “It must have been obvious to you that she was a woman under the influence of alcohol who was alone and vulnerable. You made the decision to take advantage of her vulnerability. You simply did not care that she could not consent: you just took what you wanted.”
Abouelela, originally from Egypt, entered the UK illegally in April 2023 and later claimed asylum.
Because his sentence exceeds 12 months, he will face an automatic deportation order.
The judge praised the victim for her “immense bravery and courage” in giving evidence.
