Case Against Resort Rape Suspect Goes To Circuit Court

OCEAN CITY - An Ocean City man who was arrested and
charged with second-degree rape and second-degree assault last month came
before Judge Daniel R. Mumford on Monday at District Court for his preliminary
trial and the judge found probable cause and forward the case to Circuit Court.

Senay Haile, 25, was arrested on April 3 after resort
police were called to investigate a disturbance at the Jocelyn Manor on 8th
Street. After speaking with the parties involved, officers soon arrested Haile
after the victim told them why her and her friends were confronting him and
another man, Semerdin Bederu, 24, of Ocean City. Further investigation lead
officers to believe Bederu was involved as well and placed him under arrest.

The events all began the night before when the intoxicated
17-year-old victim, a female from Cumberland, was approached by four men late
Monday night on the Boardwalk around 6th Street. According to police records,
they then went to a party on 6th Street where it eventually moved to the
Jocelyn Manor on 8th Street.

The victim later passed out and was taken to a bedroom
where witnesses later said Bederu had intercourse with the passed-out victim.
However, it wasn't until 8 a.m. that Haile then allegedly tried to have
intercourse with the victim who was now on a couch after Haile and another
witness cleaned her up after finding she had vomited on herself in the bedroom
at some point.

According to police records, the victim awoke to Haile,
who was on top of her trying to have intercourse. She began screaming and fled
the apartment and later returned with a group of male friends to confront the
man who was raping her. This was when the police arrived and later determined
Bederu had also allegedly raped the victim.

According to officers who testified Monday, an interview
with Haile following the accusations revealed that a friend had said Haile
awoke that morning on the floor next to the victim with an erection and when he
went to stand, fell on her, and awoke her in the process. Seeing this as a
farfetched idea, Haile eventually admitted to intentionally penetrating the
victim partially.

The
officer who testified also said a rape kit test had been used and that 'fluid
like that of semen' had been found but the test results were not yet completed
to absolutely confirm that it was in fact semen.