THREE AFGHAN MEN GUILTY OF GROOMING AND RAPING GIRL
Three Afghan men have been convicted of grooming and raping a 17-year-old girl before fleeing the UK hidden in the back of a lorry.Mehrab Safi, aged 21, alongside 19-year-olds Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheli, were found guilty of multiple charges related to the assault at a residence in Bristol’s St Werburghs area during the early hours of 30 November.
Shortly afterward, French authorities apprehended them in Calais.
A 17-year-old boy, whose identity remains protected by law, was also convicted of rape.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Cable of Avon and Somerset Police emphasized: "These individuals are dangerous and pose a serious risk to young women and girls, showing no regard for their well-being." "They exploited a vulnerable young girl purely for their own sexual satisfaction," he added.
Safi, living in St Werburghs, was convicted of human trafficking and two counts of rape.
Habibkheli, of Lockleaze, received convictions for human trafficking and rape as well.
Ahmadzai, from Redcliffe, was found guilty of rape and assault by penetration.
The jury at Bristol Crown Court took two days to deliberate before reaching their verdict.
During the court proceedings, evidence showed the girl had been shopping at Bristol’s Cabot Circus with a friend when she met Safi – exchanging contact details five days before the crimes.
Prosecutor Ed Hetherington stated Safi groomed the girl on Snapchat and solicited nude images from her.
He arranged for a taxi to bring her from Somerset to Safi’s house in St Werburghs at dawn on 30 November.
Describing the situation, Hetherington commented: "It’s a disturbing reflection of how digital technology distorts youth dating culture, as she considered such a request typical." He explained the girl was willing to comply despite barely knowing Safi.
According to Hetherington, the girl believed she would only have sex with Safi, who had asked her to strip multiple times, but she refused.
Nonetheless, she was intoxicated with alcohol and cigarettes before being raped by Safi and Habibkheli.
She was subsequently assaulted by Ahmadzai and raped by the 17-year-old boy, then raped again by Safi later that morning.
The police found her after her mother reported her missing, and she described feeling unsafe and wishing to return home.
She said: "I just wanted to go home.
I didn’t feel safe.
It was just supposed to be Safi, but then they did this." The young man was arrested at the scene, but Safi, Habibkheli, and Ahmadzai fled.
They traveled to Birmingham and London before detouring out of the country.
Detectives found them in Calais, and they were extradited back to the UK where police immediately detained them on suspicion of rape.
Surveillance footage from Safi’s phone showed the three men joking and gesturing inside the back of the lorry, implying they thought they had evaded justice.
Safi claims his initial encounter with the girl was consensual and denies the second rape.
Habibkheli said the girl invited him upstairs willingly, while Ahmadzai denied committing the third rape, asserting any sexual acts were consensual.
Detective Sergeant Jo Babbage noted the victim’s bravery, saying: "Her courage in speaking out is truly commendable, and her strength has brought these offenders to justice." Sally Helliwell from the Crown Prosecution Service stated: "The victim was targeted, groomed, and lured into an unfamiliar city at night, where she was isolated and abused over hours by four individuals.
Her lack of consent was clear throughout." "The three men who fled have been quickly brought back to face justice," she added.
Judge Michael Cullum sentenced the adult men to prison, though he considered various factors before determining specific sentences.
He indicated the juvenile would face similar consequences.
Safi, Habibkheli, and Ahmadzai were placed in custody pending sentencing on 6 October, while the boy was released on conditional bail with an overnight curfew outside the region.
