Man charged with sexually assaulting women while in line to view queen's coffin

The Crown Prosecution Service charged a man on Friday after he allegedly exposed himself

By Kelly McClure

Nights & Weekends Editor

Published September 17, 2022 11:34AM (EDT)

Members of the public pay their respects as they pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it Lies in State inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster. (Marco Bertorello - WPA Pool/Getty Images)
Members of the public pay their respects as they pass the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it Lies in State inside Westminster Hall, at the Palace of Westminster. (Marco Bertorello - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

A man has been charged with sexual assault for crimes against women while in line to view Queen Elizabeth II's coffin in London's Westminster Hall.

According to a statement from the Crown Prosecution Service obtained from CNN, the assault took place on Wednesday at Victoria Tower Gardens when the man — now identified as 19-year-old Adio Adeshine — allegedly exposed himself to at least two women and then proceeded to lewdly bump into them from behind. 

An additional report from Independent details that when the man's actions were made known he attempted to evade arrest by jumping into the River Thames. He's since been taken into custody and has been charged with two counts of breaching a sexual harm prevention order and two counts of sexual assault.

In a statement issued by The Metropolitan Police's Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy he says "officers were on hand to immediately respond and arrest the man . . . There has been very little crime or other incidents where officers have had to intervene. I continue to ask all members of the public to remain vigilant and if you see something that doesn't look right, please report it to an officer or steward."

According to Independent, one of the women allegedly attacked by Adeshine stated that he caught her eye because, although she'd been standing in line for hours, she hadn't seen the man before. She states that after turning around she noticed that he was exposing himself. 


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During his court appearance, Adeshine plead innocent to the charges against him but the deputy chief magistrate refused bail and he will remain in custody until his next court appearance in October. 


By Kelly McClure

Kelly McClure is Salon's Nights and Weekends Editor covering daily news, politics and culture. Her work has also appeared in Vulture, Vanity Fair, Vice and many other outlets that don't start with the letter V. She is the author of one sad book called "Something Is Always Happening Somewhere." Follow her on Bluesky: @WolfieVibes

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