Police charge six men in connection with rapes and sexual assaults on Brighton Beach
Sussex Police has charged six men in connection with six separate reports of women having been raped or sexually assaulted around the Brighton Beach area.
Officers had been working to locate the men as part of their investigations into the incidents, which took place in September.
All six of these victims have been supported by specialist officers, Police confirmed.
Superintendent Adele Tucknott, Sussex Police’s lead for Violence Against Women and Girls, said: “Every one of these appalling incidents was treated with the seriousness they demanded, with hundreds of hours spent on painstaking investigations to identify and locate suspects.
“Alongside these investigations, each victim was offered support from specialist officers and our partners through this extremely difficult time.
“Each of these charges should send a clear message to anyone looking to harm women and girls in Brighton and Hove that we will do everything we can to bring perpetrators to justice.
“The work to prevent incidents such as these happening continues alongside our partners, with extra patrols, a drone monitoring hard to reach areas like the beach and a host of other safety measures to reduce vulnerability and keep Brighton a safe place to enjoy a night out.”
The separate investigations fell under four operations, Sussex Police said, and the men arrested are due to appear in court in the coming months.
Operation Lindwood:
On Wednesday, 6 September, police received a report that a young woman had been raped on the beach near Brighton Pier shortly after midnight.
Three days later, on Friday, 8 September, officers were called to London Road in the early hours after a report that a woman in her 20s had been sexually assaulted at around 3.15am.
Ahmed Lahmatar, 36, of no fixed address, has been charged with rape and attempted rape and remanded in custody.
He is due to appear for trial at a court to be confirmed on 4 March, 2024.
Operation Carpenter:
On Sunday, 10 September, police were called to the beach near the Kings Road Arches at around 5.35am by a member of the public concerned for the welfare of a woman in her 30s.
Ali Reza Mozaffari, 36, of Golders Green Road, London, has been charged with rape and remanded in custody.
Isaac Cid-Lopez, 22, of Radbourne Crescent in London, has been charged with rape and theft. He has been released on court bail with strict conditions.
Both will appear at a court to be confirmed on 26 February, 2024.
Operation Embassy:
In the early hours of Saturday, 16 September, police received a report that a woman in her 20s had been raped on the beach.
Following enquiries, a 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of rape and being in possession of a class B drug – cannabis. He has been remanded in custody in relation to a separate matter.
Operation France:
In the early hours of 24 September, a woman reported being raped on the seafront near Brighton Pier, and another sexually assaulted nearby.
Altaib Hamed, 25, of Lewes Road in Brighton, has now been charged with rape and remanded in custody.
Bader Saleh, 23, of Percival Terrace in Brighton, has been charged with sexual assault and remanded in custody.
Both will appear in courts to be confirmed on 18 December.
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