Sultani Bakatash, a 29-year-old Afghan national who arrived in the UK in 2022, has been found guilty of five sexual offences against two 14-year-old girls. The crimes occurred after he plied them with vodka and attacked them in his flat in Bolton. He is due to be sentenced on September 9 at Bolton Crown Court.
Details of the Attack
Police received a 999 call just before 11pm on December 6 last year reporting a rape at Georgina Court in Bolton. Officers found the girls 'extremely distressed and intoxicated to the point where they were both drifting in and out of consciousness'. Prosecutors said Bakatash had 'seized the opportunity to rape and abuse them' when they were intoxicated.
Bakatash initially claimed the sexual activity was consensual and instigated by the girls, then later denied any sexual activity took place. However, a jury convicted him after two hours of deliberations on two counts of rape, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.
Background and Lies
Bakatash lied about his age, telling the girls he was 22. He met one of the girls outside a McDonald's restaurant three months before the attack and later communicated via Snapchat. On the day of the attack, he bought three bottles of vodka for the girls, claiming he believed they were 18 or 19. He said he did not drink due to his Muslim faith but later took a swig, stating, 'I think Satan took over me.'
During an eight-minute Uber ride to his flat, the girls were 'giggling, taking selfies and talking amongst themselves', according to Bakatash. One girl said he told them to turn off their phones, which made her worried. She said she told him her age in the taxi.
Victim Impact
One of the girls described feeling 'trapped during the attack' and said, 'I just kept thinking I was going to die.' Jo Service, for the Crown Prosecution Service, stated: 'In this deeply concerning case, Sultani Bakatash subjected two teenage girls to a frightening sexual ordeal. He plied the girls with alcohol before raping and sexually assaulting them when they were too intoxicated to resist. In pursuit of his own sexual gratification, he gave no thought to the lifelong harm the abuse could have on his victims.'
Service added: 'I would like to thank the victims for supporting the prosecution and I hope they can find comfort in knowing that because of their support, we have been able to bring Bakatash to justice.'
