Migrant stuck hand down schoolgirl’s tights on train in vile attack | UK | News

A “vile” Eastern European refugee who subjected a schoolgirl to a vile attack on a train is facing years in prison. Abdulmanon Aliev, 50, from Tajikistan, removed his shorts and trousers before attacking the 13-year-old boy on the train between Southend, Essex and Fenchurch Street Stations on June 16 last year.

Inner London Crown Court heard he touched her breast, penetrated her by placing his hand under her tights and then tried to verbally rape her. With the help of a Tajik translator, Aliev denied attacking the girl and claimed that he only touched himself in front of her because of his skin condition.

He cried as he told jurors: “I have a wife and six daughters. I swear to God I’ve never done this. I can’t even listen to this. It sounds like my daughter. I don’t know where these allegations are coming from.”

Aliev denied this allegation, but was convicted by a jury of three counts of sexual assault, two of which were sexual assault and one of attempted rape.

Judge Matthew Boyle remanded Aliev in custody ahead of sentencing on June 17.

In the video interview played to the jury, the teenager had difficulty speaking as he described getting on the train after an argument with his mother.

“I bought a ticket. It was random. I picked it randomly,” he said.

When asked to describe the man she accused of attacking her, she said: “He was about my height. He had a black bag. He didn’t speak English.”

When asked if he knew what language he spoke, he said: “It looked Russian, but it didn’t sound Russian.”

When asked what he meant, he said: “It was like writing. He said something about the translator.” he said.

He said sitting across from Aliev.

“He was touching himself and started looking at me,” she said.

“He moved, went to me. He came and sat next to me.”

“I was wearing my school uniform. He was touching my tights. He was touching me through my clothes.”

She said he touched her breast.

The girl said she moved the cars at one point, but then returned.

“He moved the cars but came back. He said, ‘Come with me’.”

He said he went with her because he was scared and couldn’t get off the train.

At one point, he said, another passenger tried to intervene.

“He said, ‘What are you doing, it’s a child’.”

The teen said he then started touching her again.

“He started putting his hand in the same area.”

At one point he had difficulty speaking and was asked to write down what he wanted to say.

He said: “He took off his shorts and trousers…He was unbuttoning his shorts.”

Aliev then pushed her head down and tried to verbally rape her.

British Transport Police detectives launched an urgent investigation to identify Aliev and combed through hours of CCTV footage to track Aliev’s movements before and after the attack.

The manhunt ended on June 27 when plainclothes police officers located and arrested him near his home in Peckham, south-east London. Police officers later searched his home to find the clothes he was wearing on the day of the attack.

Aliev, of Rye Lane, Peckham, south-east London, denied the allegation but was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault, two counts of assault by penetration and one count of attempted rape.

BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said: “Aliev singled out a defenseless child and subjected her to one of the most heinous sexual assaults I have ever investigated.

“Although the spotlight is rightfully on him as a vile sexual predator, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to the police.

“Without his explanation of what happened and his willingness to support our investigation, this decision would not have been possible.

“We take every report of sexual offenses extremely seriously and will stop at nothing to bring criminals like Aliev to court.”