Man found guilty of multiple assaults on five women in Jersey

A man has been found guilty of multiple assaults and sexual offences against five different women on the streets of St Helier.

A jury found care assistant, Abdelkarim Arfaoui (27), guilty of all ten offences, including attempted rape, grave and criminal assault, and five counts of sexually touching without consent. 

They occurred within just 90 minutes on the morning of 30 November 2025.

The Royal Court heard that Arfaoui attempted to sexually assault his first victim after attacking and 'rugby tackling' her to the ground.

She managed to escape - and told the court that she thought he was going to kill her.

Advocate Lauren Hallam, prosecuting, said that after being 'unable to get what he wanted', Arfaoui then went on to target other women on the streets of St Helier.

She described how he chased some of the women, punched another in the face, grabbed them sexually, tried to kiss them, exposed himself, and made 'disgusting' sexual comments, including vulgar and crude demands for sex.

Advocate Hallam added that one of his victims was so shaken that she couldn't remember the number for 999.

Arfaoui pleaded not guilty to all charges against him, maintaining throughout the trial that he didn't attack any of the women.

CCTV footage showed him metres from his home at times as he wandered the streets, approaching only women.

When he was arrested on Tunnell Street at 7:30am that morning, he falsely told officers he was on his way to his work.

Detective Inspector Christina Maclennan said:

"Today's verdict is a testament to the remarkable bravery and resilience of the five women who came forward to report their experiences.

"Recounting such traumatic events is never easy, and their courage, strength, and determination have been instrumental in ensuring that this dangerous offender has been brought to justice. 

"I hope that today's outcome provides them with some sense of closure, and demonstrates that those who commit such offences will be held accountable for their actions.

"Jersey remains a safe place, and offences like this are thankfully very rare.

"However, when serious incidents do occur, the States of Jersey Police will work tirelessly with their partners to protect the public, provide support for victims, and bring offenders to justice."

Arfaoui showed no reaction as he was found guilty on each count.

A sentencing date will be arranged on Friday 24 July.