UK court convicts Iranian asylum seeker of attempted rape in London

ANBAR, Iraq — LONDON — A British court found a 35-year-old Iranian asylum seeker guilty of attempted rape after he followed a woman returning from a Christmas party for about three miles in London in 2024, according to case details reported in UK proceedings. During the trial, the defendant, identified as Hussein Mohammadi, argued that his body was not physically capable of committing the offence, citing what he described as a small genital size, obesity, smoking and depression. Dr. George Folies, a urology specialist who testified for the prosecution, said the defendant's genitalia were completely normal and noted that he had received an email approving him to donate to a sperm bank. The attack ended after 27 seconds when a passing cyclist intervened, court records showed. Prosecutors said Mohammadi had five prior convictions in Germany and received a 10-month prison sentence in the United Kingdom after crossing the English Channel by small boat. The court is scheduled to deliver its sentencing decision next month.