Ramzi Barkat, 54, is accused of attempting to rape a woman near Buckingham Palace, after the case is reported to have been dropped and he is released. According to accounts given in court, Barkat tails a lone woman as she leaves St James’s Park in central London in the early hours of 7 September 2024. The reporting says he approaches and repeatedly tries to interact with her, despite her rejecting his attempts to flirt. The sources state that an attack follows after she rejects him. The Mirror and The Independent both describe the incident occurring near the Buckingham Palace area and note that Barkat is released by police, with the matter being heard at Southwark Crown Court. Both outlets characterise the allegations as an attempt to rape, describing the alleged behaviour leading up to the assault. The reports focus on the circumstances of the approach, the woman’s rejection, and the subsequent attack, while providing limited additional detail on the legal reasons for his release.