In a troubling case that has raised serious questions about police handling of sexual assault reports, a woman from Warrington, Cheshire, has revealed how her attempt to report a sexual attack led to her own arrest while the perpetrator remained free to assault others for nearly two years.
Helen Ingham, 48, recently waived her right to anonymity in order to share her harrowing experience with law enforcement after reporting an assault by Ahmed Fahmy, 45, a hotel manager whose reign of terror against women spanned more than 15 years.
The incident, which occurred in March of 2022, marks a significant failure in the justice system’s approach to handling sexual violence cases, particularly those involving violence against women and girls.Â
Ingham’s ordeal began after attending a Stormzy concert with her daughter. The pair had spent approximately £500 for a two-night stay at the upmarket Sunborn Yacht Hotel, a decommissioned superyacht converted into a floating hotel at Victoria Dock in east London. The getaway was meant to celebrate Ingham’s birthday, but instead the setting turned into a nightmarish encounter.
In the early hours of March 30, Ingham and her daughter returned to the hotel. Fahmy, then the manager, escorted them to their room, ostensibly because they had been drinking. When Talmage went downstairs to smoke a cigarette, Fahmy seized the opportunity to assault Ingham.
“He let us into our room, and I thought it was strange when he came in with us,” Ingham recounted. “I had sat on the bed and taken off my socks and shoes, and I thought he would leave at that point. But he sat down at the end of the bed, pulled my foot off the bed, and put my big toe in his mouth.”
Shocked and distressed, Ingham immediately called the police to report the incident. However, what should have been a straightforward process of recording her statement and investigating her claims took a bizarre and disturbing turn.
Upon arrival, the responding officers appeared disinterested in Ingham’s assault claims. Instead, they focused on her agitated state and use of profanity, which she attributes to her anger and distress over the recent assault.
The situation escalated when, according to Ingham, the officers asked Fahmy: “What do you want us to do with her?” to which he allegedly responded, “Take her away.”
In a shocking twist, instead of taking Ingham’s statement or arresting Fahmy, the officers arrested Ingham herself.
A physical conflict ensued during the arrest, resulting in Ingham spending the night in a police cell. Adding to the distress, her daughter was reportedly “dumped at a train station” to make her way home alone.
“They didn’t investigate my claim at the time – they weren’t bothered about what happened to me,” Ingham stated, her voice tinged with frustration and disappointment.
The consequences of this mishandling were severe. Fahmy, left unchecked, continued his predatory behaviour.
And it wasn’t until January of 2024, nearly two years later, that he was finally brought to justice following reports of rape and sexual assault from two more women at another hotel.
The subsequent investigation revealed a pattern of behavior dating back to 2008.
In that earliest known incident, Fahmy attacked a woman living in a flat near a Hilton hotel in Watford where he was a manager. The most recent offences occurred at the Anchor Guest Hotel in Golders Green on January 20, 2024. There, he sexually assaulted one woman by licking her foot while she slept and raped another after maneuvering her into his bedroom.
On July 25, 2024, Fahmy was found guilty at Hendon Magistrates Court of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault, including the assault on Ingham. His sentencing is scheduled for September. – The case has prompted a review of the actions of the two officers who responded to Ingham’s initial report. Both remain under investigation, according to the Metropolitan Police.
For Ingham, the police’s failure to act on her report is a source of ongoing distress. “The police failed me, and that’s more upsetting to me than what that man did,” she said. “I tried to tell the police that he would offend again, but they didn’t listen – the rape could have been avoided, but instead they arrested me.”
This case raises critical questions about the treatment of sexual assault victims by law enforcement and the potential consequences of dismissing their claims. It highlights systemic issues in how such reports are handled and investigated, potentially allowing perpetrators to continue their crimes unchecked.
According to the Mail Online, The Metropolitan Police, in response to inquiries about the case, stated that the investigation into Ahmed Fahmy was led by a team of experienced detectives specializing in sexual offenses and victim support. They emphasized that as part of their enquiries during the rape investigation, these detectives actively sought to identify any previous offenses linked to Fahmy.
However, this statement does little to explain or justify the initial mishandling of Ingham’s report. The police spokesperson acknowledged that the wider investigation prompted a review into the actions of the two officers who responded to the initial incident, both of whom remain under investigation.
The police also stressed their commitment to tackling violence against women and girls, stating it is a key priority across the Met.
“We are doing more to support communities and people who’ve had their trust damaged, focusing on protecting women and girls from violence and targeting predatory men who commit those crimes,” the spokesperson for the Mail Online said.
Despite these assurances, Ingham’s experience paints a different picture. “That night, I felt like anyone could do anything to me and I would have been the one who got in trouble,” she reflected. “I reported a crime and then I got arrested – if you can’t trust the police, who can you trust?”
