Four Afghans Jailed for Gang-Rape of Teenager in UK

Four Afghan nationals have been sentenced to prison for the gang-rape of a teenage girl in Bristol, England. Mehrab Safi, 21, Salman Habibkheil and Awal Ahmadzai, both 19, and a 17-year-old boy attacked the 17-year-old victim in November of the previous year.

According to court testimony, the girl was plied with vodka and cigarettes before the assault. Following the attack, Safi, Habibkheil, and Ahmadzai fled the UK in the back of a lorry in December, documenting their escape on video. French authorities apprehended them in Calais, and they were subsequently returned to the United Kingdom.

A trial at Bristol Crown Court earlier this year resulted in convictions for rape and other offenses.

Judge Michael Cullum sentenced Safi, who was found guilty of two counts of rape and one of human trafficking, to 15 years imprisonment. Habibkheil received a nine-year detention sentence for one count of rape and one of human trafficking. Ahmadzai was sentenced to nine years in detention for one count of rape and one sexual assault. The unnamed 17-year-old defendant was given a three-year detention sentence for one count of rape.

The victim met Safi while Christmas shopping. Court documents indicated Safi attempted to lure her and a friend to his property, but they declined and went home. Safi then initiated contact via social media, exchanging messages with the victim.

Four days after their initial meeting, on November 30, Safi and Habibkheil arranged for a taxi to pick up the girl from her home in Somerset and bring her to Bristol. She was then taken to Safi's residence, where the defendants allegedly gave her alcohol to incapacitate her for the assault.

The judge stated the victim was trafficked for sexual offenses and was raped multiple times. He described the cumulative trauma as unimaginable and noted the victim's vulnerability was exploited by the defendants. The judge also acknowledged the defendants' claims of trauma related to fleeing Afghanistan but emphasized that these do not excuse their actions.

During the trial, jurors saw a police interview recording where the victim expressed her desire to go home and her feeling of unsafety. She reported being asleep during some of the assaults. The victim's mother alerted authorities when she did not return home, leading to the police tracing her to the Bristol property. While officers arrested the teenage boy at the door, the three older men fled.

A victim personal statement read in court described the profound impact of the attacks. The girl stated she was a different person, had stopped going out alone, and experienced recurring trauma. She noted that the court process exacerbated her distress. Her future plans for college and working with children were put on hold due to severe anxiety. She expressed relief at the convictions, fearing the defendants might escape justice. Her mother stated the girl had lost trust in strangers and felt anxious around individuals resembling the defendants.