Locations
Chelsea, South West London
Description
A Qatari national who travelled to the UK for heart treatment has been jailed for seven years for sexually assaulting a woman at a leading London hospital. He will be deported after completing his sentence.
Nasser Al-Gherainiq, 27, a camel herder from a conservative Bedouin tribe in Qatar, dragged the woman into a toilet cubicle at the Royal Brompton Hospital in Chelsea and sexually assaulted her for five minutes, a court heard.
The assault took place on 23 August 2023, just one month after Al-Gherainiq arrived in Britain for treatment for a rare heart condition.
“Immature and Inexperienced Adolescent,” Court Told
At Southwark Crown Court, Al-Gherainiq denied two counts of attempted rape, claiming his behaviour stemmed from a lack of exposure to women due to his strict cultural upbringing.
His defence barrister, Jane Bickerstaff KC, told the court:
“Until July 2023, he had never left Qatar. The only woman he would have had meaningful contact with was his mother.
His limited visits to Doha and preference for the desert meant he had no experience of urban life or modern societal norms.”
Ms Bickerstaff described him as having the emotional maturity of an adolescent, saying:
“He completely failed to understand her true feelings.”
Despite these arguments, jurors convicted Al-Gherainiq of two counts of attempted rape, in addition to charges of sexual assault and causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, which he had previously admitted.
Sentencing and Deportation
Judge Hiddleston sentenced Al-Gherainiq to seven years in prison, noting the traumatic impact on the victim. The sentence will be reduced by 415 days already served on remand. The judge also ordered that Al-Gherainiq be deported to Qatar after completing his sentence.
The Royal Brompton Hospital, world-renowned for cardiac care, declined to comment on the incident but confirmed that security procedures have been reviewed.