Youth faces student attack charges

A 17-year-old has been charged with the assault of Malaysian student Ashraf Rossli during the disorder in the capital
12 April 2012

A 17-year-old has been charged with the assault of a Malaysian student during the London riots.

The youth is accused of assaulting Ashraf Rossli on Monday August 8 during the disorder in the capital.

He is due to appear at Thames Magistrates Court on Monday charged with one count of GBH against the student, one count of robbery, two counts of burglary and two counts of violent disorder.

Mr Rossli, who was mugged by yobs posing as Good Samaritans during the riots, expressed doubt that the incident would have happened in his home country.

Mr Rossli described Malaysia as "well-organised" and said police there did their job "more efficiently", but insisted he had faith in the British justice system while showing no desire to see his assailants dealt with harshly.

Addressing a press conference with his family at a west London hotel, the 20-year-old spoke warmly of the UK, saying there were "a lot of good people everywhere you go".

Mr Rossli was taken to hospital with a broken jaw after being set upon less than a month after arriving in Britain.

Members of the public donated thousands of pounds to a fund for him after footage of the attack was posted on YouTube but he indicated he intended to give at least some of it away, saying: "I think there's a lot of other victims that need help as well."

A man has already appeared in court accused of robbing Mr Rossli.

Reece Donovan, 21, is accused of stealing a portable Sony PlayStation and Nokia mobile phone from the student, who had been in Britain for less than a month. Donovan appeared at Wood Green Crown Court for a preliminary hearing on August 19 and was remanded in custody and will next appear at the same court on October 10 for a plea and case management hearing.

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