Council chiefs have been accused of hushing up a rape charge against the inhabitant of an asylum hotel in order to avoid inflaming ‘community tension’.
The man was reportedly charged with rape and voyeurism following an attack on a woman on June 11, The Sun reported.
He is believed to have been living at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea, which has functioned as an asylum hotel.
However, the man appeared in front of Portsmouth magistrates’ on June 16 and he was remanded in custody – so he is no longer living in the hotel.
But there are now allegations that members of Portsmouth City Council sought to keep the nature of charged man’s accommodation secret in order to avoid community unrest.
Portsmouth City Council members were reportedly briefed in private about the charges against the man.
However, it has been claimed that councillors were warned not to mention that the suspect lived in an asylum hotel.
It was also reported that Portsmouth Independents Party leader Cllr George Madgwick was urged not to share ‘privileged confidential information’.
The man is believed to have been living at the Royal Beach Hotel in Southsea (pictured), which has functioned as an asylum hotel
Portsmouth City Council members were reportedly briefed in private about the charges against the man (Pictured: Portsmouth City Guildhall)
A young girl waves to security officers as a group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover, Kent, from a Border Force vessel following a small boat incident in the Channel on June 20
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called the small-boat crossings ‘a national security emergency’
Councillor Madgwick said: ‘This is precisely why the public don’t trust politicians and public bodies: things are hidden that should be disclosed.
Anyone involved in any form of cover-up from disclosure to the public should question their role in a publicly funded position.’
There are also two other cases in England, one in Manchester and one in London, in which the fact that suspects lived in asylum hotels was not disclosed.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called the small-boat crossings ‘a national security emergency’.
‘Women in towns with asylum hotels shouldn’t have to live in fear. The authorities must trust the public with the truth and act to protect them,’ he said.
A government spokesperson said: ‘Sexual violence of all types is a despicable crime, causing the most unimaginable harm to victims and survivors.
‘We recognise the immense bravery shown by them throughout their pursuit of justice, and protecting them remains central to our mission to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.
‘We have already taken action to ban foreign nationals who commit sexual offences from being granted asylum, and will do everything in our power to pursue deportation from the UK so that these vile criminals are off our streets and paying the price for their crimes.’
Portsmouth City Council have been approached for further comment. The Royal Beach Hotel declined to comment.
