Assailant Sentenced for October Hate Crime

The man responsible for an Oct. 3 bias-motivated assault of a Georgetown medical student was sentenced to 35 months in prison by D.C. Superior Court last Friday.

On Oct. 3, the medical student, who has remained anonymous due to the nature of his assault, was attacked by two men as he walked along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal path in the early hours of the morning. The assailants shouted homophobic slurs at him and hit him in the face with a vodka bottle, rendering the victim unconscious.

Virginia resident Ruddad Abdulgader, a 19-year-old Sudanese native, pleaded guilty on two felony counts on Nov. 12. According to a Department of Justice press release, he was sentenced Friday to 30 months of jail time for felony assault with a bias intent and five months for possession of a prohibited weapon. Due to immigration laws, Abdulgader may face deportation to Sudan.

Under D.C. law, Abdulgader could have received a maximum four-and-a-half year sentence for felony assault with bias intent. In addition to being incarcerated, Abdulgader must compensate the victim for his out-of-pocket medical costs.

The victim said he was pleased by the outcome of Friday’s trial and has completely recovered from the injuries suffered that night.

“I am now 100 percent physically recovered from the assault, and the completion of this case will certainly help heal the emotional/psychological damage the incident has done to me,” the victim said.

Abdulgader’s accomplice, Saad Elorch, a Moroccan native was also intially charged with the bias-assault, however the U.S. Attorney’s office dropped the charge after Abdulgader admitted that he was the only one who physically assaulted the victim. Elorch pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges of assaulting and threatening a police officer. Both men have remained in jail since the attack.

Elorch may also face deportation as a result of the attack.

The victim viewed the jailing of Abdulgader as a positive outcome for the LGBTQ community.

“I am very happy that my attacker will be serving time in jail for the assault. It is a big relief knowing that the streets of D.C. are now safer for Georgetown’s [LGBTQ] students,” he said, “This sentence has sent a clear message that hate crimes will not be tolerated in the District.”

Correction: The original headline of this story incorrectly stated that two assailants were sentenced following the bias-related incident in October. Only one of the two men has been sentenced.