A small boat migrant allegedly gang raped a woman on a Brighton beach just hours after he heard his asylum application had been rejected, a court has heard.
One Iranian man and two Egyptian men have been accused of dragging a 33-year-old woman across the pebble beach at Brighton and raping her at around 5am on the morning of October 4.
Abdulla Ahmadi, 25, an Iranian national from Crewe, along with Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 25, both Egyptian nationals from Horsham, have been arrested and each charged with two counts of rape.
Alshafe and Al-Danasurt were living in a migrant hotel run by the Home Office when the alleged incident took place.
Both were failed asylum seekers.
Ahmadi, meanwhile, had learnt his asylum application had been rejected merely hours earlier and was living at an address in Crewe, Cheshire.
The three men appeared at Lewes Crown Court on Thursday, where a trial date was set for next year.
Three men have been accused of raping a 33-year-old woman on a Brighton beach last month
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"This is a high-profile, very serious case," Prosecutor John Livingstone told the court.
The woman said that she had been attacked after being at a nightclub. She had previously been described as vulnerable and intoxicated.
The court heard that the three men are alleged to have carried the victim to a secluded place on the beach in the early hours of the morning, where she was orally and vaginally raped.
The attack allegedly took place at 5am with the three men dragging the victim across the pebbled beach
| PAA Home Office spokesperson previously said: “These allegations are shocking and we share the public’s outrage. Our thoughts are with the victim of this horrific crime.
“We are receiving regular updates from Sussex Police. The priority must now be for the police to investigate so those responsible are brought to justice.”
When the three men were charged, Detective Superintendent Andy Harbour said: "This has been a fast-paced investigation with all three suspects having been identified through thorough investigative work.
"I commend the bravery of the victim, who we continue to support with specialist officers.
"I understand how distressing this incident will be for the community and our dedicated partnership operations to protect women and girls will continue in earnest."