Sri Lankan hotel migrant abducted and raped teenage girl, 15, in London before trying to flee the UK with her, court told

Published: 12:47, 28 April 2026 | Updated: 12:47, 28 April 2026 A Sri Lankan hotel migrant abducted and raped a teenage girl before trying to flee the country with her, a court has heard. Yashin Himasara, 21, has been charged with grooming the 15-year-old girl before assaulting her in his hotel room in Feltham, west London, last October. Himasara allegedly kidnapped the girl and hoped to take her to mainland Europe with him, the court heard. The girl was subsequently found, however, by a member of the public at a service station in Kent, who immediately raised the alarm.  Himasara had been living in the three-star St Giles Hotel in Feltham, which is being used by the government to house asylum seekers.  He appeared at Isleworth Crown Court for the first day of his trial, where he was aided by a Sinhala interpreter. Himasara previously denied one count of kidnapping, one count of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of assault by beating. He also denied one count of sexual activity with a child and two counts of intentional strangulation. Yashin Himasara, 21, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court for the first day of his trial Prosecutor Oliver Wellings said Himasara was 20 years old at the time in 2025, while the complainant was and still is 15 years old.  He told the court that the girl was found in 'disturbing circumstances' by a member of the public on November 2, 2025.  Mr Wellings said: 'She was found on the floor of a toilet in a service station miles away from her residence in Medway in Kent, in distraught condition, very upset. 'The member of the public that found her raised the alarm, she was worried by what she saw. 'When the victim was interviewed, she described to police what had happened to her in the days preceding her arrival at the service station in Medway. 'She described coming to know the defendant at the hotel she was staying, alternatively at times charming and seductive towards her and then also threatening and violent, a pattern of behaviour that amounted to grooming over a period of days and weeks leading up to 2 November. 'He subjected her to sexual abuse and ultimately to oral rape before removing her from the hotel accommodation. 'The crown's case is he was in the process of trying to remove her from the country to mainland Europe when he was apprehended by a member of the public and ultimately the police.' Days before the kidnapping on October 25, the court heard Himasara had touched the 15-year-old sexually. Then on October 31, he raped and sexually assaulted the girl in his hotel room and strangled her, jurors heard. He was also seen by members of the public beating her on November 2 at the service station. The victim told the police what had happened and they arrested Himasara on November 5. Footage was played in court of her interview with the police, in which she described how Himasara told her the two of them would run away to the Netherlands together and get married. Himasara denies rape, sexual activity with a child, two counts of intentional strangulation, assault by penetration, assault by beating and kidnapping. Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.