Egyptian asylum seeker who raped Hyde Park victim identified as convicted Islamic terrorist

An Egyptian asylum seeker who raped a woman in Hyde Park while living in Hilton hotel accommodation has been identified in reports as a convicted Islamic terrorist, according to the Daily Mail.

Abdelrahmen Adnan Abouelela, 42, was convicted in absentia in Egypt in 2015 of belonging to a bomb-making cell that allegedly planned attacks on electricity pylons and gas lines. The reports say he and six co-defendants rented an apartment in the Ebnia Baitak area of the 10th of Ramadan City east of Cairo to manufacture explosives. The Daily Mail also asserts that Abouelela was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and that he escaped Egypt before his conviction.

The claimant arrived in Britain in April 2023 seeking asylum and was housed in taxpayer-funded four-star Hilton Hotel accommodation in Ealing while his application was considered. Home Office records reportedly show the asylum review dragging on for about 17 months, even as officials were aware of his bomb-making conviction abroad.

During his time in the United Kingdom, Abouelela is said to have roamed freely, including a selfie he reportedly took outside the Imperial War Museum North in Trafford, Greater Manchester, in January of the following year.

The Hyde Park attack itself occurred last November, when the victim—who cannot be named for legal reasons—was approached by Abouelela, lured to a secluded spot, and raped. He was later convicted of rape at Southwark Crown Court and sentenced to eight and a half years in prison.

Legal and immigration authorities say Abouelela is in the country illegally, with automatic deportation due to follow under the UK Borders Act 2007 after he has served more than a year of his sentence. A successful appeal on human rights grounds or under the Refugee Convention could potentially alter that outcome, though such arguments would be highly scrutinized given his criminal history.

Court records and reporting linked Abouelela to periods living in Malaysia and Sudan after he fled Egypt, and to a stay in Turkey. He was detained for at least 72 days at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport after an asylum request was reportedly turned down in early 2019. Turkish authorities are said to have at first sought his extradition before allowing him to remain.

In social-media posts and a LinkedIn profile cited by the reports, Abouelela appeared to describe himself as a member of the Muslim Brotherhood and to criticize the Egyptian government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. The group’s status varies by country, with some nations designating it a terrorist organization while others do not.

The case has renewed questions about how asylum decisions are made for individuals with criminal histories and links to extremist movements. It also touches on the broader debate over how Britain monitors or restricts groups associated with extremism, a topic that has featured prominently in political discourse over the past decade.

Judge Gregory Perrins, presiding over the rape case, told Abouelela that his behavior showed a shocking disregard for the victim’s vulnerability. “You thought absolutely nothing of her,” the judge said, adding that the rape stemmed from personal sexual desire with no consideration of consent. The victim, he noted, demonstrated immense bravery in giving evidence during the trial.

The victim remains unnamed for legal reasons, and authorities emphasize that the case represents a singular criminal act rather than a broader verdict about a specific community. However, observers say the affair underscores ongoing tensions between national security, immigration policy, and public safety.