Criminal prosecutions of foreign nationals for sexual crimes

In the United Kingdom, Salem Rekoub, a 28-year-old Algerian national, was sentenced to 21 years in prison by the Isleworth Crown Court for the rape of a woman in West London. The assault occurred in July 2024 in the Chelsea area after Rekoub encountered a semi-conscious woman at a bus stop.

Court proceedings detailed that Rekoub dragged the victim into an alleyway, where the attack lasted approximately 17 minutes and resulted in the victim sustaining 33 bruises. Prosecutors noted that Rekoub, who had entered the UK on a tourist visa in 2023 and was working illegally as a Deliveroo driver, attempted to mislead authorities by claiming the woman had consumed excessive alcohol. CCTV footage showed Rekoub following the victim’s ambulance to Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in an attempt to locate her. The judge described the case as extremely serious, labeling Rekoub a “danger to the public.”

Separately, in the United States, Abdoulaye Dia, a Guinean national who entered the country illegally via Arizona in late 2023, was arrested in Maryland. He faces charges of first-degree rape, kidnapping, and second-degree assault following the alleged sexual assault of a 17-year-old passenger in a Silver Spring parking lot. Authorities noted Dia had a prior arrest in New York City in June for sexual abuse involving a minor.