The father of a 14-year-old girl who was allegedly sexually assaulted by an Ethiopian asylum seeker has backed calls to have the hotel where he stayed shut down, it has been claimed.
Epping, a village in Essex, has been gripped by anti-migrant protests outside The Bell Hotel after Hadush Gerberslasie Kebatu was charged with the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl days after arriving in Britain on a small boat.
Conservative councillor Shane Yerrell read out a message allegedly from the girl’s father during an impromptu council meeting on Thursday evening, which was called to discuss the recent unrest.
The letter, which Cllr Yerrell said was written by the girl’s father, said: “I just want the hotel to be moved, not only off our streets, but away from making any other family feel how we’re feeling right now.
“It’s not fair that the Government are putting our children and grandchildren at risk, even their own.”
The father went on to thank the community in Epping for their “kind messages”, adding that they were “helping [my daughter] get through every day”.
It marks the first time the alleged victim’s family has publicly weighed in on the disorder surrounding The Bell Hotel.
Mr Kebatu, 38, denied the charge when he appeared at Chelmsford magistrates’ court on July 17.
Protesters are pictured with police officers outside The Bell Hotel – Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph
On Thursday evening, around 200 protesters gathered outside the hotel, which is situated less than a mile away from a school, to protest its housing of asylum seekers.
Demonstrators chanted “save our kids” in the pouring rain before marching to Epping district council’s offices in the town centre while the meeting was taking place.
The council voted in favour of closing down the hotel.
Officers from at least six forces outside of the county attended the demonstration over fears that tensions between protesters and counter-protesters would continue to rise.
One person was arrested for breaching an order in place that prevents anyone from wearing a face covering, Essex Police said.
A total of 16 arrests were made following a protest outside the same hotel last week.
It comes amid speculation, denied by the Home Office, that migrants at The Bell Hotel will be moved to a hotel in Canary Wharf, with mattresses and toilet brushes seen being delivered there.
