An Afghan man living in the United Kingdom has been sentenced to 14 years in prison for raping two 14-year-old girls in Bolton, Greater Manchester. The offenses took place in December last year after the accused, identified as 29-year-old Sultani Bakatash, allegedly groomed one of the victims via the social media app Snapchat.

According to court proceedings, Bakatash met one of the girls three months prior to the incidents outside a McDonald’s and later invited her and a friend to his flat. On the day of the assaults, he reportedly bought the two teenagers three bottles of vodka and gave them vodka mixed with Coke until they passed in and out of consciousness. While intoxicated, the girls were sexually assaulted. One of the victims eventually managed to escape the flat and raise the alarm by alerting a neighbor, who then contacted the police.

Bakatash denied all charges, maintaining that the sexual encounters were consensual. He also stated he did not typically drink alcohol due to his Muslim faith but admitted during the trial that he consumed some on the night in question. The prosecution presented the case that the victims were incapacitated due to the intoxication imposed by Bakatash, leading the jury to convict him of two counts of rape, two counts of assault, and one additional sexual assault charge.

Bakatash, who arrived in the UK in 2022 and holds indefinite leave to remain, is a former Afghan soldier. During sentencing at Bolton Crown Court, Judge Kenderik Horne indicated that the defendant could face deportation after serving two-thirds of his prison term. However, the judge acknowledged that deportation might not be straightforward because of Bakatash’s prior work with the British Army in Afghanistan before the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

The case highlights ongoing concerns about how individuals with certain backgrounds are managed within the UK immigration and criminal justice systems, balancing legal consequences with complex international considerations related to security and prior military service.