Afghan National Jailed for 14 Years in Bolton for Rape of Two Teenage Girls

A 29-year-old man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison after being convicted of raping and sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls whom he plied with alcohol at his flat in Greater Manchester.

Sultani Bakatash was sentenced at Bolton Crown Court following a four-week trial. Jurors found the Afghan national guilty of four serious offences, comprising two counts of rape, one count of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault against the two teenage victims.

The court was told that Bakatash first connected with one of the young girls through the social media platform Snapchat before inviting her and a friend to his residence at Georgina Court in Bolton on 6 December.

Upon arriving at the property, the two 14-year-olds were provided with vodka and Coke. Prosecutors outlined how Bakatash actively urged the teenagers to keep consuming the spirits while he merely took a single sip himself and repeatedly offered compliments about their physical appearance.

The high volume of alcohol caused both victims to become severely incapacitated, drifting in and out of consciousness. The court heard that Bakatash exploited their helpless state to carry out the sexual attacks, with each girl witnessing the other being subjected to sexual assault and rape as they drifted in and out of awareness.

The ordeal eventually ended when one of the victims managed to break out of the flat and sought immediate assistance from a nearby resident. The court heard that she knocked urgently on a neighbour's door, crying out that her friend was locked inside and that Bakatash was attempting to rape and actively attacking her.

Prosecuting barrister Charlotte Rimmer detailed the deliberate nature of the defendant's conduct, telling the court that Bakatash had orchestrated the meeting, encouraged the heavy drinking, and then capitalized on the girls' vulnerability. She described him to the court as a man intent on achieving sexual gratification regardless of the victims' wishes or consent.

During the sentencing hearing, Judge Kenderik Horne addressed Bakatash directly, stating that he was fully satisfied the defendant had applied physical force to overcome the physical resistance of the young victims.

Judge Horne emphasized the calculated nature of the crime, telling Bakatash that he had deliberately pushed the girls to keep drinking alcohol so they would become so intoxicated that they would lack the physical ability to prevent him from engaging in sexual acts with them.

The court also reviewed the conflicting explanations Bakatash provided in the aftermath of the offences. He initially claimed to authorities that the two teenagers had initiated and consented to the sexual activity, before subsequently asserting that he could not remember the events, and ultimately testifying during the trial that no sexual contact had occurred at all.

Judge Horne dismissed these shifting accounts, telling the defendant that his claims of having engaged in no sexual activity were outright lies that the jury had completely seen through.

The sentencing proceedings detailed the profound and enduring harm inflicted upon both teenagers. The court heard that one of the girls has suffered severe psychological trauma, while the lifelong consequences and emotional distress of the sexual assault will remain with the other victim permanently.

A formal assessment prepared by the probation service noted that Bakatash failed to acknowledge his criminal actions. Given his lack of accountability, probation officials concluded that he continues to pose a persistent high risk of serious harm to women and young girls.

The court heard that Bakatash fled his flat immediately following the offences before being tracked down and arrested by police two days later at his brother's residence.

Defence counsel Umar Shehzad presented mitigating factors regarding the defendant's background, stating that Bakatash had previously worked alongside the British Army in Afghanistan, where he had been shot and sustained injuries. The defence explained that he had fled his home country out of fear following the Taliban's takeover in 2021 and had struggled with feeling overwhelmed living in a foreign environment.

The court was informed that Bakatash had been residing in the United Kingdom for two years under indefinite leave to remain, with his mother, two brothers, and two sisters also living in the country.

Addressing the broader legal implications of the case, Judge Horne noted that Bakatash could face deportation after completing two-thirds of his 14-year custodial sentence. However, the judge observed that deportation might ultimately not occur due to his previous service supporting the British Armed Forces and the dangers he fled in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover.