Three Afghan nationals have been convicted and imprisoned for sexually assaulting and raping a 17-year-old girl in Bristol after grooming her online. Mehrab Safi, 21, Awal Ahmadzai and Salman Habibkheli, both 19, were found guilty on 26 June of multiple offences committed at a house in St Werburghs in November 2025. The three men attempted to flee the United Kingdom in the back of a lorry but were intercepted by French police in Calais.
Safi received a 15-year prison sentence at Bristol Crown Court on 6 October 2026, while Habibkheli and Ahmadzai were each sentenced to nine years in youth detention facilities. According to Avon and Somerset Police, Safi was convicted of human trafficking and two counts of rape, Habibkheil of human trafficking and rape, and Ahmadzai of rape and assault by penetration.
How the grooming began
Safi first encountered the girl, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, while she was Christmas shopping with a friend at Cabot Circus shopping centre. He subsequently initiated contact with her through Snapchat and began a grooming campaign. According to the prosecutor Ed Hetherington, Safi asked the girl to send him nude photographs after connecting with her on the platform. He then arranged and paid for a taxi to transport her from her home in Somerset to his address in Bristol.
What happened at the property
When the girl arrived at Safi's home, she was given alcohol by the men present. She was then sexually assaulted and raped over several hours by Safi, Habibkheli, Ahmadzai and a 17-year-old boy, who also faced conviction but did not attempt to flee the country. Police officers discovered the girl at the property after her mother reported her missing on 30 November 2025, triggering the investigation that led to the arrests.
The escape attempt and arrests
Following the offences, the three adult defendants attempted to leave the United Kingdom. They were arrested in Calais on 3 December 2025, three days after the assault took place, while hiding in the back of a lorry. French authorities apprehended them and they were subsequently returned to the United Kingdom to face justice.
Impact on the victim
In a victim impact statement presented to the court, the girl described how the attack had left her severely "traumatised" and afraid to leave her home. The psychological and emotional toll of the assault has significantly affected her daily life and sense of safety.
The fourth defendant
The 17-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was also convicted of rape in connection with the same incident. Unlike the three adult defendants, he remained in the United Kingdom and did not attempt to flee. He was sentenced to two years and seven months in a youth detention centre. He was also listed for sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on 6 October 2026.
Key facts
- Three Afghan nationals were convicted of multiple sexual offences against a 17-year-old girl in Bristol in November 2025
- The lead offender groomed the victim through Snapchat before arranging her transport to the assault location
- The three men were arrested in Calais while attempting to flee the United Kingdom in a lorry
- Sentences ranged from nine to 15 years in custody
- A fourth defendant, a 17-year-old boy, received a separate sentence of two years and seven months
