A 24-year-old man from no fixed address, Hailu Getemariam, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after being found guilty of sexually assaulting three young women on London's public transport network. The incidents, which occurred between March and May, involved Getemariam targeting lone women on trains and the Tube, stalking carriages to find victims before groping them inappropriately.
The first assault took place on 25 March when Getemariam boarded a train at Denmark Hill station. Despite the carriage being nearly empty, he deliberately sat next to a young woman and began rubbing his fingers up and down her leg and thigh. He positioned his leg on the seat in front, trapping her, which left the victim terrified. As she alighted at Beckenham Hill, she confronted him, but Getemariam falsely claimed it was an accident while reaching for his mobile phone. Judge Freya Newbery, presiding at the sentencing hearing, dismissed this excuse, stating, 'You suggested that you had accidentally touched her when you reached for your mobile phone, but that was simply not true.'
On 18 April, at a Northern Line station, Getemariam followed another young woman onto a crowded Tube. He positioned himself directly behind her, pressing his body against hers, touching her bottom with his hand, and then placing his hand between the top of her thighs for approximately five minutes. The victim, feeling scared, moved to the other side of the carriage at the next stop, but Getemariam followed, standing close and staring at her. She avoided eye contact and contacted the police upon exiting the train.
- The third incident occurred on 10 May, when Getemariam boarded another train and stood close to a woman, tapping her genital area several times over her clothing.
- When she realised what was happening and moved away, he then touched another woman's bottom, prompting the first victim to film him as evidence.
Getemariam denied all charges but was convicted by a jury of three counts of sexual assault. He had been in custody since his arrest in May. During the sentencing on 15 November at court, Judge Newbery addressed him directly: 'Mr Getemariam, you are a pervert. You are seeking out young women on public transport to touch them sexually.' His defence barrister, Matthew Ness, noted that this was Getemariam's first time in custody, describing it as a difficult period causing him anxiety and stress, and mentioning that he had been assaulted in prison.
With time served, Getemariam is due for release within a month, having completed half of his 14-month sentence. Upon release, he will be subject to a sexual harm prevention order (SHPO), requiring him to use an Oyster card registered in his own name on the Transport for London (TfL) network and prohibiting him from sitting immediately next to, touching, or communicating with any unknown female while travelling.
The case was reported by This Is Local London, based on court proceedings, with images provided by British Transport Police (BTP). Getemariam, identified as a refugee, exploited the crowded and isolated nature of public transport to carry out these predatory acts.