A 26-year-old British woman has been sentenced to six years in prison in Hong Kong after being found guilty of making a false r@pe accusation and attempting to extort money from a British banker.
Isabel Rose, from Hackney in east London, was convicted of blackmail and perverting the course of justice following a trial in Hong Kong’s District Court. She had denied both charges and continued to insist she had been raped.
The case stems from a visit Rose made to Hong Kong in late January 2024 after meeting the man in Thailand the previous month. She claimed he raped her at his apartment on February 1, leading to his arrest after she filed a police report. However, investigators later released the man without charge before arresting Rose.
The court heard that prosecutors believed the rape allegation was fabricated as part of an attempt to obtain £100,000 (about US$134,000) from the man.
Evidence presented during the trial included WhatsApp conversations exchanged between the pair after the alleged incident. In the messages, Rose accused the man of violating her and later described the encounter as rape. The man responded by apologising, saying he had been drinking and had misunderstood the situation, while denying any intention to force himself on her.
The exchanges later shifted to financial demands. The man agreed to refund Rose’s travel and accommodation expenses and transferred £5,000, with an attempt to send another £5,000. Rose, however, indicated she expected a far larger amount, writing that she had received only a fraction of what she believed she was owed. The man replied that he could not afford the £100,000 she was demanding.
Rose reported the alleged rape to Hong Kong police on February 3, 2024. Following investigations, authorities concluded there was insufficient evidence to support the allegation and instead charged her with blackmail and attempting to mislead the justice system.
During sentencing, the court imposed a five-year prison term for blackmail and a three-year sentence for perverting the course of justice, with part of the sentences running consecutively, resulting in a total jail term of six years.
In delivering judgment, the presiding judge described Rose’s conduct as serious, saying she had exploited the man’s trust and goodwill. The judge further ruled that the false report had caused significant harm by subjecting an innocent person to a criminal investigation and described her actions as deliberate and malicious.
