Four Afghan Nationals Begin Trial for Alleged Bristol Rape

A trial has begun at Bristol Crown Court in which four Afghan nationals are accused of repeatedly raping a 17-year-old girl in Bristol in late November 2025. The defendants are Mehrab Safi, 21, Awal Ahmadzai, 19, Salman Habibkheil, 19, and a 16-year-old boy. They each deny the charges against them.

Prosecutor Ed Hetherington told the court the victim was groomed after Safi met her and a friend while they were Christmas shopping at Cabot Circus in Bristol on November 25. Safi added the girl on Snapchat and, on November 28, requested nude photographs of her. In the early hours of Sunday, November 30, a taxi was arranged to bring the girl from her home in Somerset to Bristol.

Upon arrival, she was taken to a property in the St. Werburghs area. Hetherington stated the girl was given vodka and cigarettes and was then allegedly raped by all four defendants over a period of several hours. He described her as isolated and alone in an unfamiliar city at night, subjected to repeated sexual abuse against her will. The alleged assault ended after the girl's mother contacted police.

As officers arrived at the scene, Safi, Ahmadzai, and Habibkheil fled. The court heard they traveled to London...