Bereke Russom

On the early morning of 27 August 2022, Bereke Russom, a 32-year-old Eritrean man, committed a violent sexual assault on a woman near Brighton beach in East Sussex, England. The incident occurred around 3am on the seafront, where Russom had travelled from Gatwick. The woman, who had become separated from her group after a night out and was visibly drunk and alone, was targeted by Russom. CCTV footage captured her walking by herself when Russom approached, snatched her phone as she tried to call a friend, and continued the conversation himself before hanging up and refusing to disclose their location.

Russom then dragged the distressed woman onto the beach, pinning her to the ground and forcing himself on top of her despite her pleas to stop. Her clothes were pulled open, and Russom exposed himself during the attack. The assault was only halted by the intervention of a beach patrol on a quad bike, who spotted Russom on top of the woman and immediately called Sussex Police. The patrol witnessed the exposure of Russom's penis and the woman's evident distress.

Following his arrest, Russom was released on bail but lied to police about his involvement, claiming the woman had approached him in a bar earlier that night—a claim disproven by CCTV evidence showing her solitude and him leading her to the beach near Brighton Palace Pier. A five-day trial at Lewes Crown Court in January 2023 resulted in a jury finding Russom guilty of attempted rape and sexual assault by penetration. However, Russom failed to appear for his sentencing hearing at the same court, sitting in Brighton, prompting an ongoing police hunt.

Prosecutor Richard Sedgwick informed the court that efforts to locate Russom had been unsuccessful, with his last known sighting in Leeds, West Yorkshire. Defence barrister Steve Wedd apologised to the court, stating, 'In mitigation, I have a handful of nothings. I have no client and no expectation of him attending court any time soon or surrendering for sentence.' Recorder James Hay remarked on the predatory nature of the attack, noting, 'He must’ve identified she was very drunk and alone. Made clear by taking control of her phone, refusing to answer questions, he must’ve formed the intention to rape her. It was only by sheer chance this was spotted by beach patrol on a quad bike.'

In the woman's victim personal statement, she described the profound impact of the assault: 'After that night, I lost a part of myself I’m no longer sure I will ever get back.' Russom required a translator during proceedings and claimed he could not enter bars without ID. The court sentenced him in absentia to eight years for attempted rape and six years concurrent for sexual assault by penetration. He will serve at least two-thirds of the sentence in custody before parole eligibility and is required to register as a sex offender for life. Sussex Police continue to seek information on his whereabouts, quoting serial 173 of 27/08/2022.