STORY
Three men and a teenage boy have received custodial sentences totalling 36 years after being convicted of raping a teenage girl in Bristol. At Bristol Crown Court on 6 October, Mehrab Safi, 21, received 15 years in prison, while Salman Habibkheil, 19, and Awal Ahmadzai, 19, each received nine years’ detention. A 17-year-old boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, received three years’ detention.
Safi and Habibkheil arranged for the girl to travel to Bristol before the four defendants gave her alcohol and attacked her. Officers found her at Safi’s home after her mother reported her missing. The boy was arrested there, while the three men fled to France before being returned to the UK. All four denied the offences but were convicted following a trial. Safi and Habibkheil were also convicted of arranging travel for exploitation, and Ahmadzai of sexual assault.
In a statement read to the court, the victim described anxiety and withdrawal from everyday life. Judge Cullum said the defendants had deliberately increased her vulnerability with alcohol. Police praised her courage and confirmed that specialist support would remain available.