Three British men have been charged with gang-raping a 28-year-old local woman at a hotel in Split, Croatia. The alleged attack took place over two hours on the morning of July 22 last year.
The accused, Ami Arifi, 30, Gezhim Xhafa, 29, and Sohqib Shakibi, 25, were charged by the Split County State Attorney's Office on Wednesday. They face up to ten years in prison if convicted under Croatian law.
Prosecutors allege the trio met the woman in the Matejuska waterfront area before taking her to a hotel at around 5:30am. Arifi is accused of insulting, biting her lips, and touching her intimately. He also allegedly took her phone and asked her to have sex with the second defendant.
The victim reportedly told police she felt unable to refuse because she feared further violence. Xhafa and Shakibi allegedly engaged in sexual acts, wrongly believing her lack of physical resistance indicated consent.
The woman contacted her former partner, who alerted police. Officers arrested one suspect at the hotel and the other two at a separate location. All three were held at Bilice prison before being released on bail of £26,000 each, with a promise to attend court.
During custody, one defendant suffered a broken jaw in an altercation with another inmate and required surgery. Court proceedings are ongoing.
