Afghan Migrant Receives Decade-Long Prison Sentence for Southampton Rape
Musafar Hotak, a 25-year-old Afghan migrant, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for the rape and sexual assault of a vulnerable, intoxicated woman in Southampton. The conviction followed a trial at Southampton Crown Court, where the horrific details of the attack on July 12, 2022, were laid bare.
Details of the Terrifying Assault
The court heard that the victim had been asked to leave the Cafe Parfait bar in Southampton by bouncers due to her level of intoxication. As she attempted to contact her girlfriend outside, Hotak, who was 22 at the time, began following her. A voicemail sent from the victim's phone captured her telling him to stop, but he persisted.
The next memory the complainant had was waking up in Hotak's home with him lying on top of her, sexually assaulting her, and then raping her. She repeatedly told him to stop, but felt unable to prevent the attack because he was using a lot of force. After managing to escape, she contacted the police immediately.
Forensic Evidence and Victim Impact
An intimate swab taken from the victim was matched to Hotak's DNA, providing crucial forensic evidence. Reading her personal impact statement to the court, the victim described living in constant fear since the attack, which had left scars in every part of my life. She revealed it led her to self-harm and an attempt to take her own life.
What happened to me destroyed my life in ways I never thought possible. I didn't just feel violated, I felt erased, she said. Since that day, I have lived in fear, shame, silence and unbearable pain that I can't fully describe. I was left feeling broken and empty and terrified of the world around me.
Sentencing and Legal Consequences
Judge Gary Lucie sentenced Hotak to a 10-year prison term with a four-year extended period on licence. He also imposed an indefinite restraining order preventing Hotak from contacting the victim and placed him on the sex offenders' register. Assisted by a Pashtu interpreter, Hotak was told that the Home Office will consider deporting him.
You took advantage of the victim who was very drunk, Judge Lucie stated. It is obvious your offending has had a severe psychological impact on her, which will probably remain with her for the rest of her life. I want to pay tribute to her for her bravery in coming forward and going through what must have been a very difficult time for her.
Prosecution and Home Office Response
Elizabeth Medland of the Crown Prosecution Service commented: This was a terrifying and traumatic attack on a young woman who was only trying to get home safely after a night out with friends. Musafar Hotak exploited her, ignored her protests, and violated her when she was unable to protect herself. My thoughts are with the victim in this case, whose powerful witness testimony was instrumental in securing a conviction.
A Home Office spokesman added: All foreign national offenders who receive a prison sentence of over 12 months are automatically referred for deportation at the earliest opportunity and will be barred from returning to the UK. We will not tolerate foreign criminals committing crimes in the UK, and that is why we are scaling up their deportations.
