Texts before horrific gang rape

Dowling Centre Tuesday 6 August 2024
Four men charged over a Tinder gang rape in Sydney have learned their fate.

Four men involved in the horrific gang rape of a woman in her own apartment after she agreed to meet one of the men on the dating app Tinder have learned their fate.

A jury found the four men – Adam Kabbout, Omar El-Sayed, Mohammed Ali, and Rami Katlan – guilty of multiple serious sexual offences following a trial in the NSW District Court.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had agreed to meet with 27-year-old Kabbout at her Sydney home in April 2022 after meeting him on the dating app.

When she went to take a shower, she found several men who she did not know inside the home.

She told the jury she cried as, one by one, the men entered the bedroom and assaulted her.

In sentencing, Justice Leonie Flannery said the jury accepted each of the offenders knew the woman did not consent, and described the offences as “significant and objectively serious”.

“That is consistent with the evidence she gave that she had, on more than one occasion, said she did not wish to engage in the acts with the offenders,” Judge Flannery said.

Dowling Centre Tuesday 6 August 2024
Adam Kabbout was sentenced to six years in prison over his role in the gang rape. Picture Thomas Lisson

She went on to add during the multi-hour sentencing: “She said as much in the early Snapchat conversation, and was from time to time crying during the commission of the offences”.

Judge Flannery did not accept submissions by the Crown the men had a prior agreement, and instead said it had been “spontaneous and not part of a joint criminal enterprise”.

The court was told Kabbout was with the three other men on the night of the alleged attack and was communicating with the victim on Snapchat when he told her that “they are into it”.

The victim replied: “Actually?”

Kabbout: “Yeah”.

Victim: “Maybe not, TBH”.

Kabbout: “Only three guys”.

Victim: “I don’t know them. Sorry. Ha ha”.

Kabbout: “They look like me, lol. Up to you, no stress”.

Victim: “Hahaha, tempting but maybe not”.

Kabbout: “I’ll come then”.

The court was told Kabbout told the men the woman might be interested in “some kind of sexual relations”, before later indicating that she was not and having them drop him off.

Kabbout went in alone and the pair consensually kissed on her bed. She went to take a shower for 15 minutes, and returned to find El-Sayed, Katlan, and Ali inside the home.

The woman asked Kabbout what the other men were doing where, to which he replied “It’s okay, don’t worry about them”, before taking her to the bedroom with El-Sayed.

The court was told Kabbout told the woman to perform oral sex on El-Sayed, which she said she did not want to do and told the court during her earlier evidence she was scared.

Each of the four men proceeded to sexually assault the woman, beginning with El-Sayed who also had penetrative sex with the woman despite her stating “she didn’t want this”.

Katlan then entered the room and removed his flaccid penis from his pants and the woman performed oral sex.

She later said she only went along with it because she was scared.

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Judge Flannery found Katlan had been “reckless as to her lack of consent, as he realised the possibility that she was not but went ahead regardless of whether she was or not”.

Lastly, Ali entered the room while the victim was crying and she performed oral sex on him before he pushed her onto the bed face down and sexually assaulted her while she cried.

The court were told Ali left and the woman told Kabbout “I don’t want to do it anymore. Can you please leave?” and he replied “your loss” and the group left shortly after.

In total, the encounter lasted just 15 minutes.

Adam Kabbout leaves Burwood Local Court on April 19, 2023, after being committed to stand trial on six charges relating to the alleged gang rape of a woman at Belmore in April 2022. (ID confirmed by Shannon Tonkin).
The woman had agreed to meet Kabbout (pictured) who he met on the dating app Tinder.

In sentencing, Judge Flannery said each of the men were “of good character” prior to the offences which were an “aberration”, and said they each had good prospects for rehabilitation.

Kabbout was sentenced to six years and six months behind bars with a non-parole period of three years and three months. He will be eligible for parole from January 22, 2030.

El Sayed was sentenced to five years and two months in prison with a non-parole period of two years and seven months. He will be eligible for release from April 2, 2027.

Ali was sentenced to an aggregate sentence of four years and two months with a non-parole period of 25 months. He will be eligible for release on parole October 2, 2026

Katlan was sentenced over a charge of recording an intimidate image and sexually intercourse without consent, but found not guilty of aggravated sexual assault in company.

He was sentenced to four years and two months with a non parole period of 25 months. He will be eligible for release in a little under two years on October 2, 2026.