UK: Muslim Migrant Allegedly Caught Attempting to Rape Woman, Released by Police

Lake, St James’s Park, London SW1 by Christine Matthews, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 | Jihad Watch

A 54-year-old man described by a judge as a "predator" has been sentenced after attempting to rape a woman near Buckingham Palace, despite being released by police for nearly a year following his arrest.

Ramzi Barkat, originally from Algeria, followed a woman who was walking alone after she left St James's Park in the early hours of September 7, 2024. According to the court, Barkat initially attempted to engage her in conversation, but when she rejected his advances, he forced her to the ground, restrained her by the wrists, and climbed on top of her.

During sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, His Honour Judge Justin Cole said Barkat had deliberately targeted a vulnerable woman and behaved "like a predator." The attack was interrupted when three young soldiers passing nearby heard the victim's screams and intervened, preventing a more serious assault.

The judge sentenced Barkat to seven years and three months in prison. However, he also strongly criticized the police investigation, describing it as a "catalogue of incompetencies." He noted that after the victim was interviewed, Barkat was released on bail or under investigation despite, in the judge's view, having been caught "red-handed."

Judge Cole said Barkat should not have been allowed to remain free, arguing that he posed an ongoing risk to the public. He remarked that the defendant had been "set free for a period of a year" after attacking a lone woman in a public park, adding that the public would likely be "appalled" by what he described as such a lax response from the authorities.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)