Karam Majdi was jailed for seven years after he was found guilty in less than half an hour (Picture: BPM)

A failed asylum seeker has been jailed for seven years after he raped a 14-year-old girl he met online.

Karam Majdi met the girl and a friend at East Croydon train station last year after travelling from Hove and raped her in a hostel.

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He claimed he had fled fighting in Aleppo and said he was an unaccompanied minor when he arrived in the UK in 2016.

He failed a language test and authorities now believe that Majdi, 19, is actually from Egypt.


His victim told the court that he was ‘scum’.

She said: ‘Last year wasn’t a good year for me. I lost my dad, leaving me feeling devastated and in a low place. I suffered another devastating incident last year.

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‘I was attacked and raped. No woman or person should ever have to got through what I did. I have three sisters and pray they never have to go through something like this.’



She told him that the trial left her mentally exhausted and anxious.

‘I hate him, he’s a horrible person and disgusting. When I think about what he did to me, it makes me sick. I shout and scream in my sleep calling out and punching.’

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‘Will I be able to get married and have a happy future. ‘I’m going to have to live with for the rest of my life.’

Judge Shani Barnes said that Majdi’s online activity caused great concern after a jury took less than half an hour to find him guilty, causing him to break down in the dock.

He was cleared of raping another 15-year-old girl but was ordered to be on the sex offenders’ register for life.

He will also have restricted access to computers as part of a sexual harm prevention order.

The victim told police she was 14 when Mr Majdi raped her at a hostel for young people in Croydon.

She met him at least twice in person before the chance meeting led to rape. In November last year, the girl went to visit a friend at the hostel.

A group of four people took drugs and watched a film, she told police.

‘The defendant started to touch her,’ Henrietta Paget for the Crown said. ‘She said she didn’t want to do this. She told him to stop and he forced himself on top of her.

‘She told police she lay there feeling weak and later took pictures of the bruises on her legs and hips.’

Judge Barnes said: ‘What you did to your victim that night was opportunistic and vile. She was vulnerable because of her age and because she was already suffering from severe psychological harm and this was a severe and prolonged incident.

‘I hope you understand the gravity of what you’ve done.’

Speaking directly to the victim sitting at the back of the court, the judge said: ‘You are very strong and you are very brave and you are not going to let this affect you for the rest of your life.’

Detective Constable Stewart Cameron said; ‘As soon as we were told of this incident enquiries began and soon Majdi was identified through social media and other information.



‘He had contrived a meeting with the girl and her friends, and took advantage of her youth and vulnerability to ruthlessly exploit her for his own sexual gratification.

‘We have been able to ensure that the victim has access to support and counselling to help her through this ordeal, and she bravely gave evidence against Majdi at his trial.

‘She has been very brave and shown immense courage to get through this and should feel very proud of what she has done.

‘Young girls are now that much safer because Majid is off the streets.’