SHARIF ABBAS KIDNAPS AND SEXUALLY ASSAULTS VULNERABLE TEENAGER AT LONDON UNDERGROUND STATION
In a disturbing incident that unfolded in the early hours of June 16, 2019, at Bond Street Tube station in central London, a 19-year-old woman suffered a severe head injury after falling down some stairs.The fall left her bleeding heavily, with part of her skull exposed, and she also sustained a broken wrist.
Instead of immediately calling emergency services, the attacker, Sharif Abbas, 31, approached her under false pretenses of offering help.
Abbas, who was dressed in a high-visibility jacket at the time, initially appeared to be assisting the injured woman.
He approached her as she sat down to recover from her fall, donned a Transport for London (TfL) high-vis vest, and told her to wait for him.
He then led her to a nearby basement of a building, claiming he needed to examine her injuries.
However, instead of providing aid, Abbas carried out a sexual assault on her in the secluded basement area.
According to police reports, Abbas had unwittingly triggered a silent alarm when he entered the basement, prompting police to respond swiftly.
Officers arrived at the scene to find Abbas standing behind the injured woman with his hands under her clothing and his jeans unzipped.
The officers managed to escort Abbas to a covered walkway, out of public view, where the assault was ongoing.
Paramedics were called to the scene and transported the woman to a hospital in west London.
There, she underwent surgery for her broken wrist and received treatment for her serious head injury.
Fortunately, she has since made a full recovery, as confirmed by the Metropolitan Police.
During police interviews, Abbas claimed that he did not press the emergency button nearby because he thought he was helping her.
He also stated that he walked past at least three other emergency buttons and that he tried to call an ambulance from the Tube station but was unable to get a signal.
Abbas further claimed that the victim asked him not to call for help, which police say is untrue, as he was seen with his phone to his ear for the entire 45-minute duration of the incident.
It was revealed that the high-vis vest Abbas wore was previously used during his work on bus passenger surveys two years earlier.
At the time of the attack, he was unemployed.
Abbas told detectives he carried the vest with him for use during running or in case he encountered an accident or similar situation.
He claimed that he took the woman into the basement to check her for cuts and bruises and intended to help her, despite admitting he had no medical training and did not take any action to treat her head wound.
On July 15, 2023, at Southwark Crown Court, Abbas, a resident of Haringey in north London, was convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault.
He was subsequently sentenced to four years in prison.
Judge Gregory Perrins stated during sentencing, “I have no doubt that had the police not attended at that moment, you would have gone on to commit a more serious sexual assault.” The trial was conducted during COVID-19 restrictions, which required the victim to fly back to the UK and quarantine in order to give her evidence in court.
The case highlights the dangers of predatory behavior disguised as helpfulness, especially in public spaces like London’s underground network.
