Failed asylum seeker’s sex assault trial abandoned after no interpreter found

https://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/25842623.asylum-seekers-sex-assault-trial-abandoned-due-interpreter/

10 February 2026

Failed asylum seeker’s sex assault trial abandoned after no interpreter found

The trial of a failed Somalian asylum seeker for alleged sex offences has been abandoned after an interpreter could not be found.

A jury had been sworn in at Winchester Crown Court for the case of Abdinasir Elmi, 26, who has been accused of an alleged sex attack on a woman in Bournemouth, Dorset, on April 22 last year.

Mr Elmi was set to face trial on one count of sexual assault by penetration and a second charge of sexual assault by touching.

However, Judge Rufus Taylor told the jury that he had to discharge him before any evidence could be heard because a Somali interpreter could not be found.

The judge said that The Big Word, the firm responsible for supplying interpreters to the courts, was unable to source an interpreter because “one is ill and one is not answering his phone”.

“If you were facing trial in Mogadishu, you would want to have an interpreter. It would simply be completely unfair to embark on this case without him being able to understand 100 per cent of the case,” he told jurors.

The court was told that Mr Elmi was a “very promising” athlete and a “great hope for the future”.

A previous hearing was told that his application for asylum had been turned down by the Home Office and he was appealing against the decision.

The judge adjourned the case for a new trial to start on April 7, and remanded Mr Elmi in custody until then.

“sentencing had previously been delayed three times due to difficulties securing an interpreter”

https://www.thetfordandbrandontimes.co.uk/news/25825841.driver-spared-jail-a11-crash-paralysed-biker/

6 February 2026

Driver spared jail over A11 crash that paralysed biker

[…] His sentencing had previously been delayed three times due to difficulties securing an officially recognised Malayalam interpreter to translate the hearing for Paily, a language native to the Indian state of Kerala. [...]

PQ: 5 February 2026

https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2026-01-26.108221.h

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government: Translation Services

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question – answered at on 5 February 2026.

James Cleverly Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has made an estimate of the cost to (a) central and (b) local government of the cost of translation and interpretation services.

Samantha Dixon Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

As under the previous government, this information is not held centrally. The department does not hold this data for other departments or local authorities.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-the-criminal-courts-part-2

4 February 2026

Independent report

Independent Review of the Criminal Courts: Part 2

The Independent Review of the Criminal Courts, chaired by Sir Brian Leveson, has published Part 2 of the Review.

From: Ministry of Justice

Published 4 February 2026

[…] Interpreting

90. I will discuss the challenges of interpreter availability and more general recommendations to address this in detail in Chapter 9 (Hearing Processes). However, in summary, there are significant challenges with booking interpreters which is leading to delays or adjournments of hearings. It has been brought to my attention that this is a particular problem when requiring a ‘rare language’ interpreter where numbers are very low and can often require significant travel from the interpreter to attend courts across the country.175

91. Through engagement for this Review, I have been made aware of a previous pilot begun by HMCTS to deliver simultaneous interpreting remotely via CVP for defendants on remand.176 This was carried out by interpreters attending the court hearing or trial via video link and providing interpretation directly to the defendant who was also appearing via video link. The objectives of this pilot were: to assess feasibility of delivering simultaneous interpreting via CVP for legal proceedings; to evaluate the practicality of conducting interpreting while the defendant is in custody; and to assess the quality of simultaneous interpreting. The pilot got as far as a single in-court simulation exercise, from which an initial evaluation was completed. A number of recommendations were made to improve the process and technology further as the pilot developed.

92. The pilot was put on hold due to HMCTS capacity constraints, in part due to workload created by the House of Lords ‘Interpreting and translation services in the courts’ inquiry.177 However, I understand there is a strong desire from those involved in the pilot for it to resume when possible.

93. I therefore want to endorse the reintroduction of this pilot. Although it can be used for all languages, it has particular advantages for defendants from an ethnically diverse background who require rare language interpretation to access a fair trial. By allowing attendance of an interpreter via video, interpreters can be located across the country and not be required to travel to a particular court centre. As a result, it widens the pool of interpreters available to be booked by any court. The use of remote participation will also allow more flexible scheduling of hearings requiring interpreters, enabling courts to proceed with cases more promptly, reduce adjournments and minimise wasted resources.

Recommendation 124: I recommend that His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunals Service and the judiciary should reintroduce their pilot of ‘Simultaneous Interpreting via Cloud Video Platform for Defendants on Remand’.[...]

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6982092de8900d4c455f37b2/independent-review-criminal-courts-part-2-vol-2.pdf