Three Afghan nationals have been convicted of grooming and raping a 17-year-old girl in Bristol, following a trial at Bristol Crown Court. Mehrab Safi, 21, Awal Ahmadzai, 19, and Salman Habibkheli, 19, were found guilty of multiple offences committed against the teenager at a property in the St Werburghs area in the early hours of 30th November. A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also convicted of rape in connection with the incident.
The court heard that the victim had initially met Safi five days before the attacks while Christmas shopping in Bristol city centre. Safi subsequently groomed her via Snapchat, requesting nude images. He then arranged for a taxi to transport her from her home in Somerset to his Bristol residence on the night of the offences. Prosecutor Ed Hetherington highlighted that the girl, despite barely knowing Safi, was 'perfectly willing' to comply with his requests, describing it as a 'sad indictment' of modern dating culture among young people.
Upon arrival, the girl was reportedly plied with alcohol and cigarettes before being raped by Safi and Habibkheli. After falling asleep, she was subjected to further sexual assault and rape by Ahmadzai and then by the 17-year-old boy. Later that morning, Safi raped her again. Police were alerted after the girl's mother reported her missing, and officers discovered her at the property where she reported the attacks, expressing a strong desire to leave and stating she 'didn't feel safe'.
Following the discovery, the 17-year-old boy was arrested at the scene, but Safi, Ahmadzai, and Habibkheli fled the property. They travelled to Birmingham and London before attempting to leave the UK in the back of a lorry. French police intercepted them in Calais, and they were subsequently returned to the UK and arrested on suspicion of rape. Mobile phone footage recovered from Safi's phone reportedly showed the men laughing and gesticulating in the lorry, which the prosecution suggested indicated they believed they had 'got away with it'.
Detective Chief Inspector Matt Cable of Avon and Somerset Police described the convicted individuals as 'dangerous' and a 'significant threat to young women and girls', noting their complete disregard for the victim's welfare. Detective Sergeant Jo Babbage commended the victim's 'impossible to overstate' courage throughout the proceedings. The jury delivered their verdicts after two days of deliberations, with Safi found guilty of human trafficking and two counts of rape, Habibkheli guilty of human trafficking and one count of rape, and Ahmadzai guilty of one count of rape and one count of assault by penetration.