Trial Begins for Two Men Accused in a Sexual Assault at a St. Cloud Park

(KNSI) — The trial for two men accused of grabbing a woman off a St. Cloud street, driving her to a park and raping her is underway in Stearns County District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, on October 18th, 2020, three men, Abdirahin Omar Ali, Mohamed Hassan Abdi and Sahal Abdi Hassan, grabbed a woman walking in the 700 block of West St. Germain Street. They allegedly forced her into a car, and for the next several hours, drove her around, finally stopping at Haws Park, where Hassan is accused of raping her on a slide while the others cheered him on. Court papers say she was then put back in the car and driven around while forced to perform oral sex on a man she identified as Ali. The woman told police she was able to get out of the car and knocked on someone’s door to ask for help.

A sexual assault examination at the hospital showed DNA evidence linking the three to the assault. Her shoe was also found at the park, and there were other signs of assault found during the exam.

Ali and Abdi are charged with felony first-degree criminal sexual conduct and aiding and abetting first-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Their trial is expected to last a week.

Hassan was also charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and aiding and abetting first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He pleaded guilty to the aiding and abetting charge and the other charge was dropped. He was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison.

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