Four Afghans Sentenced for Exploiting and Assaulting Teen Girl in England

Convictions in Bristol Rape Case

Last year, four Afghan immigrants were found guilty of grooming and raping a 17-year-old girl in Bristol, England.

Mehrab Safi, 21, Salman Habibhale, 19, Awal Ahmadzai, 19, and another 17-year-old, whose name cannot be released due to their age, were convicted by a jury at Bristol Crown Court this week.

According to Avon and Somerset Police, the victim met Safi while she was out with friends during a Christmas shopping trip in November. Safi attempted to convince the girls to return to his place, offering them medicine and a place to charge their phones, but they declined and headed home.

However, Safi began contacting the girl via Snapchat, demanding inappropriate images from her. Just four days later, he and Habib Hail managed to persuade the girl to visit their home, where they forced her to drink alcohol until she was intoxicated.

During this time, she was sexually assaulted and raped by all four defendants for several hours.

The following morning, the girl’s mother reported her missing to the authorities. When the police arrived at Safi’s residence, the girl disclosed that she had been raped. Unfortunately, the three men fled and left the country before being arrested but were later apprehended in France. They are set to be sentenced in October.

Detective Inspector Matt Cable, who led the investigation, remarked that these individuals took advantage of vulnerable girls solely for their sexual gratification.

He characterized them as dangerous and a significant threat to young women and girls, expressing no concern for the well-being of their victims. Cable also noted that the investigation was complex, praising the officers involved for their efforts in building a strong case for court.

Sally Helliwell from the Crown Prosecution Service stated that the victims were specifically targeted and manipulated into coming to an unfamiliar city in the dead of night. Isolated and alone, one girl was compelled to drink and was subsequently raped and abused over several hours, highlighting that her consent was clearly absent. Fortunately, the three who fled were quickly returned to the UK to face trial.