Three Afghan men have been sentenced to prison in the United Kingdom for the rape of a teenage girl, following an attempted escape captured on video. Mehrab Safi, 21, along with Salman Habibkheil and Awal Ahmadzai, both 19, were recorded laughing and making obscene gestures while fleeing the country in the back of a lorry bound for France. The incident occurred after the men were found guilty of sexually assaulting a vulnerable teenage girl in Bristol in November 2025.

According to court proceedings, the men, together with a 17-year-old boy, were involved in grooming the victim, providing her with alcohol, and subsequently raping her. The video footage documenting their attempted flight was taken shortly after the crime and showed the three hooded men behaving defiantly as they sought to avoid capture. Authorities later located the group in Calais, France, and facilitated their return to the UK to face justice.

At Bristol Crown Court, the defendants were collectively sentenced to a total of 36 years in prison, with Safi receiving the longest sentence of 15 years. During the trial, an impact statement from the victim revealed lasting trauma from the assault, including severe anxiety that has significantly restricted her ability to leave her home.

The case underscores ongoing concerns about the vulnerability of young individuals to sexual exploitation and has drawn attention to the challenges law enforcement agencies face in preventing such crimes and apprehending perpetrators who attempt to evade arrest by crossing international borders.