On the evening of 1 February 2023, in the historic naval city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, a shocking attempted rape occurred near the city's Cenotaph, a World War One memorial honouring fallen soldiers and sailors. The assailant, Tesfagabriel Gebrzgabhi, a 34-year-old asylum seeker working as a Deliveroo delivery driver, targeted a vulnerable woman in her 20s who had become separated from her friends after a night out drinking at the nearby Guildhall Walk nightlife area.
Gebrzgabhi, riding his distinctive neon green bicycle equipped with a Deliveroo bag, approached the intoxicated woman around 10pm as she walked alone. He grabbed her by the arm, pushed her against a wall in an alleyway adjacent to the Cenotaph, and pulled up her skirt. Despite her protests—crying out 'what are you doing? Get off'—Gebrzgabhi dismissed her with the words, 'it’s fine, let me do it,' and attempted to pull down her shorts beneath her mini dress, clearly intending to penetrate her, though he was unsuccessful.
The victim, showing remarkable resilience despite her intoxication, fought back and managed to pull out her mobile phone in an attempt to record the attack. This brave action, combined with her detailed recollection, proved crucial to the investigation. Prosecutor Gary Venturi, at Portsmouth Crown Court, described the incident: 'He approached her and took her by the arm and pushed her against a nearby wall and pulled her skirt up... It’s clear he was trying to penetrate her but was unsuccessful as the charge reflects.'
Gebrzgabhi was arrested a week later on 8 February 2023, when Hampshire Constabulary officers spotted him on his identifiable bike back at Guildhall Walk. Forensic evidence, including his semen found on the woman's clothes, linked him irrefutably to the crime. The victim, who had been an independent woman prior to the attack, shared the profound impact in court: 'I find it very difficult outside when it’s dark and try not to walk anywhere alone... I love people but I now doubt people. I hate him for that.' She now requires counselling and has expressed hatred for the loss of her sense of security.
Gebrzgabhi admitted one count of attempted rape. In his defence, barrister Richard Onslow noted that his client was 'deeply ashamed' and had arrived in the UK via small boat seeking a better life, but knew no one in Portsmouth and spoke little English. Judge Michael Bowes KC, sentencing him, remarked that the woman was 'all but' raped and had suffered 'serious psychological harm.' Gebrzgabhi received a custodial sentence of six years and four months and now faces deportation. Detective Constable Sarah Ball of Hampshire Constabulary commended the victim's courage: 'This was an extremely concerning and opportunistic assault on a vulnerable woman... I hope that this sentence helps to bring some closure.'
The case, reported by The Telegraph on 29 May 2023, underscores the dangers faced by women in public spaces and the importance of swift police action in sexual assault investigations.