Isabel Rose, 26, from south-east London, has been sentenced to six years in prison in Hong Kong for blackmail and perverting the course of public justice after she reported being raped by a British banker.
Case Details
Rose travelled to Hong Kong in early 2024 to visit a British banker she met while travelling in south-east Asia. She said she was raped in his apartment about 12 hours after landing and reported the allegation to police. Police initially arrested the man but later released him and arrested Rose. She was subsequently charged with blackmail and perverting the course of public justice.
Forensic testing to establish the rape was inconclusive. In a 300-page judgment, Hong Kong district judge Adriana Noelle Tse Ching said she accepted the man's account and rejected Rose's evidence. The judge said Rose had “not shown an iota of remorse” and called the allegation “completely fabricated”.
Demands for Money
The court heard that Rose asked for £5,000 after the alleged sexual assault and later demanded £100,000 while threatening to report him to the police, claims Rose denied. Rose said the money was compensation that the man offered to cover flights, accommodation and medical costs. The judge said the escalating demands amounted to blackmail.
Rose was released on bail after the arrest but was unable to leave Hong Kong for almost two years while awaiting trial. The family said they have spent tens of thousands of pounds trying to fight the case. Rose has maintained her innocence.
WhatsApp Messages
The case also focused on WhatsApp messages exchanged between Rose and the man after the alleged assault. In one exchange, Rose wrote: “You violated me last night, I didn’t wanna have sex.” He responded: “I am deeply sorry. I was slightly drunk and I misread your signals, it’s no excuse and I know it doesn’t make it any better.” The man told the court he misunderstood Rose’s use of the word “violated” to refer to an emotional violation rather than an allegation of rape.
The judge said Rose had deleted some texts and used disappearing messages. She said the banker had been “nothing but kind to the defendant” and Rose had “taken advantage of his kindness, naivety, friendship and romantic interest”. Rejecting calls for a lighter sentence, the judge described her conduct as “wicked” and “evil”.
Reactions
Radd Seiger, the spokesperson for Rose, said: “Today is obviously a difficult day for Isabel and her mother, Aysha. We will now take advice from the legal team and consider all available options.” Campaigners said the case raised important questions about how post-sexual assault behaviour was assessed in court. Ngozi Fulani, founder of the London charity Sistah Space, said: “We live in a world where people think there is a structured way to respond to rape and sexual assault. That is not the case. What has happened here is that a victim has been blamed for being a victim.”
Rose’s mother, Aysha Bell, reported the alleged rape to the Metropolitan police in London in 2024. A Met spokesperson said: “We take reports of this nature extremely seriously and remain committed to investigating all allegations thoroughly. However, we have been unable to pursue relevant lines of enquiry in relation to this particular allegation due to a lack of jurisdiction in the relevant country. Should circumstances change, we will pursue all relevant enquiries.” The Foreign Office said it was supporting a British woman in Hong Kong and was in contact with her family and the local authorities.
