Tunisian National Convicted of Spate of Sex Attacks on Five Women in an Hour

A 27-year-old Tunisian national has been convicted of a terrifying spate of sexual offences after randomly targeting five women during an early morning rampage in St Helier town centre.

Following a four-hour deliberation, a jury at Jersey's Royal Court found Abdelkarim Arfaoui guilty on all 10 counts on the indictment.

The sweeping convictions include attempted rape, five counts of sexual touching without consent, one count of grave and criminal assault, two counts of common assault, and one count of threatening or abusive behaviour.

The court heard that the defendant, who had arrived in Jersey the previous summer to live with his wife, had been out the night before celebrating the receipt of his first wage from a new job.

However, the celebrations culminated in a string of unprovoked attacks on multiple women over a period of less than 90 minutes.

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During the trial, the jury was shown extensive CCTV footage that captured Arfaoui making multiple aggressive approaches to various women between 6:00 am and 7:30 am on Sunday, November 30, 2025.

The Jersey Police received their first emergency call just after 7:00 am when a woman reported that she had been sexually assaulted and punched in the face while walking to work.

Within 20 minutes of the initial alert, a second report was logged by another woman who informed police that she had also been subjected to a sexual assault while commuting to her workplace.

Police officers flooded the area and apprehended Arfaoui just eight minutes after the second report was received.

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Following his swift arrest, investigating officers subsequently identified three further victims who had been targeted by the defendant during the same morning.

Arfaoui was formally charged on December 1, 2025, and made his first appearance before the Magistrate's Court the following day.

Following his conviction at the Royal Court, he has been remanded in custody at HMP La Moye until today, July 24, for a court hearing to set an official sentencing date.

Speaking outside the court, senior police officials praised the resilience of the victims and sought to reassure the public.

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Detective Inspector Christina Maclennan expressed hope that the guilty verdicts would provide the five women with a sense of closure, demonstrating that those who commit such offences will be held accountable for their actions.

She stressed that Jersey remains a safe place and that random attacks of this nature are exceptionally rare.

Investigating officer Detective Constable Jack Maguire echoed these sentiments, stating that the outcome was a direct testament to the bravery and courage of the women who came forward to support the police investigation.

He noted that it was entirely due to their crucial evidence that a dangerous sexual predator had been successfully convicted.

Detective Constable Maguire also extended his gratitude to the wider community, confirming that several key witnesses were identified following media appeals and extensive house-to-house inquiries.

He encouraged anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour in the future to contact the police, noting that even seemingly insignificant information can prove crucial in identifying offenders, protecting others, and supporting investigations.