Migrant who sexually assaulted 17-year-old had ‘never been so close to a white woman'
Moffat Konofilia who travelled 10,000 miles to the UK from the Solomon Islands was staying on the Bibby Stockholm migrant barge in Portland, Dorset, in December 2023 when he carried out the offence on the nearby Weymouth seafront.
The 48-year-old sat next to the 17-year-old girl on the beach and began talking to her. The girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said Konofilia commented on the colour of her skin and said he had 'never been this close to a white woman', which made her feel uncomfortable.
He told her he was in Weymouth on holiday but in fact he lived on the barge that is moored at Portland Port, a court was told. He had taken the bus into Weymouth and bought beers to drink on the beach, 'as he often did'.
The girl began secretly recording their conversation and was heard saying 'no, no' as Konofilia tried to kiss her on the mouth before apologising.
The victim left to walk home and Konofilia tried to follow her but she managed to lose him down an alleyway, the court was told.
The girl reported the incident to the authorities the next day. When Konofilia was interviewed by police he said the girl told him she was 18 and that he wanted to help her.
He claimed he had not kissed her but had put an arm around her to comfort her and she had pulled away. He denied kissing her or following her when she left.
Konofilia, a former footballer for the Solomon Islands national team, was found guilty of one count of sexual assault by magistrates in Poole. Sentencing was adjourned for reports and he was released on bail.
He now resides at Quadrant Hall in Coventry, which is a former university accommodation hall that was converted to house 100 asylum seekers. Although he speaks English, he said his first language was Pijin, a common language in the Solomon Islands.
At a previous court hearing, he said he had two interviews for his asylum claim which depended on the outcome of this case.
The Solomon Islands are the seventh-furthest country from the UK and there are currently no specific visas for Solomon Islanders to enter the UK to seek asylum. Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea are the primary destinations for asylum seekers from the Solomon Islands.
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