Amin Abedi Mofrad, an Iranian asylum seeker, has been convicted of a serious sexual offence following an incident in Oxford. On Tuesday, 7 October 2024, a jury at Oxford Crown Court delivered a unanimous guilty verdict against Mofrad for the rape of a 15-year-old girl. The attack occurred near the Westgate Shopping Centre in Oxford, though specific details of the date and circumstances of the crime were not disclosed in the court proceedings reported by the Reading Chronicle.
During the trial, it emerged that Mofrad was residing at the Best Western Plus Moat House Hotel, located on Mill Road in Sindlesham, on the outskirts of Reading. This hotel is one of several used by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers while their claims are processed. According to statistics from Wokingham Borough Council as of 30 June 2024, approximately 250 asylum seekers were housed in hotels within the borough, including the Moat House. The hotel is not open to the public, highlighting the segregated nature of such accommodations.
The conviction has sparked significant community concern in the local area. On Sunday, 12 October 2024, the YouTube channel 'Truth Hurts 101 UK', known for auditing public and controversial sites, visited the hotel and interviewed residents. One woman, who identified herself as Donna, expressed profound anxiety about safety risks posed by the presence of asylum seekers, including convicted individuals like Mofrad. She stated, 'I'm not happy at all because of the safety risks. My anxiety is through the roof, I'm not letting the kids out at all.' Donna also referenced data from the website Streetcheck.co.uk, which indicated at least 20 reports of violent or sexual offences in the hotel's car park, further fuelling local fears.
Mofrad's case has drawn broader attention to the UK's asylum housing policies. Labour MP for Earley and Woodley, Yuan Yang, responded to community worries by criticising the use of hotels as a long-term solution. She noted, 'I do not think that housing asylum seekers in hotels is a sustainable solution, which is why I am pleased that the government has committed to ending the use of hotels by the end of this parliament (2028). This will save £1 billion per year in costs.' Yang highlighted government efforts to hire more Home Office caseworkers to address backlogs exceeding two years, reducing the number of hotels from 400 to 200 within one year.
At a Wokingham Borough Council meeting in September 2024, discussions touched on related community tensions, with Labour activist Andy Croy urging the council to condemn racism and designate the borough as a 'Borough of Sanctuary'. Council leader Stephen Conway acknowledged anxieties about 'violent language' from far-right groups. Mofrad is scheduled for sentencing next month, with the exact date pending. The case was handled under the jurisdiction of Thames Valley Police, the prosecuting force for the Reading and Oxford areas.
This incident underscores ongoing debates about asylum seeker integration, community safety, and the adequacy of current housing arrangements in the UK.