Trial Begins For Two Men Accused of Raping Woman at Local Park
ST. CLOUD -- A jury trial is underway for the two remaining men accused of raping a woman at a St. Cloud park last fall.
Twenty-two-year-old Abdirahin Omar Ali is charged with three counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of aiding and abetting 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Twenty-three-year-old Mohamed Hassan Abdi is charged with three counts of 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct and one count of kidnapping.
A third man was sentenced for his role in the attack in April. A judge sentenced 25-year-old Sahal Abdi Hassan to 15 years in prison for aiding and abetting 1st-degree criminal sexual conduct.
St. Cloud Police were called on a report of a sexual assault on October 18th. The woman said she had been kidnapped by a car full of Somali men who were talking in their native language, drinking liquor, trying to kiss her, and threatening her.
The woman said they stopped at a park and a man later identified as Hassan brought her to a slide and raped her. The woman said she was brought back to the car and forced to perform a sex act on a man later identified as Ali.
The victim was then dropped off at a location and sought help from a homeowner in the area. She was brought to the hospital for a rape examination.
DNA testing through the exam determined profiles matching Hassan and Ali. Abdi's DNA could not be ruled out from a mixture of sperm cell fractions collected during the examination.
The trial is expected to last into next week.