Three men to face trial over Brighton beach rape

Three men charged with raping a woman on Brighton beach have appeared in court

Three men accused of raping a woman on Brighton beach are due to stand trial in March.

Iranian national Abdulla Ahmadi, 25, of Crewe, Cheshire, along with Egyptian nationals Karin Al-Danasurt, 20, and Ibrahim Alshafe, 25 - both of Horsham, West Sussex - are each charged with two counts of rape.

The three men, who are asylum-seekers, had been set to enter pleas at Brighton Law Courts on Thursday but the hearing was adjourned as there was no Kurdish interpreter available for Mr Ahmadi.

Sussex Police was called to the incident on the Lower Esplanade at about 05:00 BST on 4 October.

The three men appeared at Thursday's hearing wearing grey prison jumpers and spoke to confirm their names.

A three-week trial has been scheduled for March 2026.

The Home Office confirmed all three men arrived in the UK via small boats and had pending decisions on their asylum claims.

Mr Ahmadi, Mr Al-Danasurt, and Mr Alshafe will remain in custody ahead of a pre-trial hearing scheduled for December.

Additional reporting by PA Media