A London woman was convicted of extortion and perverting the course of justice, and now faces imprisonment after reporting a sexual assault to police in Hong Kong.
Isabel Ross, a 25-year-old from Hackney in East London, flew to Hong Kong in early 2024 to visit a man she had met while traveling in Thailand.
After she told police she had been sexually assaulted, the British man—who cannot be named for legal reasons—was arrested and later acquitted.
After a trial, the judge stated that the prosecution had proven beyond a doubt that Ross was guilty of the two charges.
Ross, who had been stranded in Hong Kong on bail for the past two years, is now being held in custody pending sentencing, which has been set for July 22.
Her legal team explained the verdict to her as she sat crying in the dock at the District Court in Wan Chai.
Central to the case is Ross's allegation that the man raped her, after which she was accused of demanding money from him. Prosecutors alleged that shortly after the alleged assault, Ross demanded £5,000 (about 26,304 Malaysian ringgit) from the British man, and later increased her demand to £100,000 (about 526,100 Malaysian ringgit), threatening to go to the police.
They argued that these payments constituted extortion, and that her report of rape to the police was false.
Ross has maintained that she was indeed raped, and said that the compensation she sought was initially offered by the man.
The British Consulate General in Hong Kong said it would not comment on the details of individual cases, but stated that it would provide consular assistance to British nationals overseas.
After she told police she had been sexually assaulted, the British man—who cannot be named for legal reasons—was arrested and later acquitted.
After a trial, the judge stated that the prosecution had proven beyond a doubt that Ross was guilty of the two charges.
Ross, who had been stranded in Hong Kong on bail for the past two years, is now being held in custody pending sentencing, which has been set for July 22.
Her legal team explained the verdict to her as she sat crying in the dock at the District Court in Wan Chai.
Central to the case is Ross's allegation that the man raped her, after which she was accused of demanding money from him. Prosecutors alleged that shortly after the alleged assault, Ross demanded £5,000 (about 26,304 Malaysian ringgit) from the British man, and later increased her demand to £100,000 (about 526,100 Malaysian ringgit), threatening to go to the police.
They argued that these payments constituted extortion, and that her report of rape to the police was false.
Ross has maintained that she was indeed raped, and said that the compensation she sought was initially offered by the man.
The British Consulate General in Hong Kong said it would not comment on the details of individual cases, but stated that it would provide consular assistance to British nationals overseas.