Rafiullah Hamidy

Four men, including Rafiullah Hamidy, were convicted at Canterbury Crown Court of raping a 16-year-old girl in Ramsgate, Kent, on 18 September 2016. The incident occurred in the early hours after the victim, who had been out for the night, approached the group for directions to her friend's house. Instead of assisting her, the men lured her to Tamin Rahmani's flat, where they subjected her to a brutal sexual assault.

Rafiullah Hamidy, aged 24 from High Street, Herne Bay, was one of the perpetrators. Following the attack, the victim was abandoned on the street, where she was discovered crying by two passers-by returning from a night out. They took her into their home and promptly reported the matter to Kent Police. Detective Inspector Richard Vickery described the betrayal: 'It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead, they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way.' Forensic evidence and CCTV footage were crucial in building the case against the men.

Hamidy fled the country immediately after the rape, travelling to Taranto in southern Italy. Kent Police issued a wanted appeal, leading to his detention by local Italian officers. He was extradited back to the UK following a hearing and arrived at Heathrow Airport on 28 March 2017, where he was taken into custody. The other men—Tamin Rahmani, 37, of Northwood Road, Ramsgate; Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury; and Hamid Mohamadi, 18, formerly of Boughton Aluph, Ashford—were arrested shortly after the incident. All four denied the charges but were found guilty on Friday at Canterbury Crown Court. They have been remanded in custody pending a sentencing date to be fixed, as reported by the BBC on 29 March 2017.