Musafar Hotak, a 25-year-old Afghan migrant, received a 10-year prison sentence for raping a vulnerable, heavily intoxicated woman in the early hours of July 12, 2022.

The Nightclub Incident and Attack

The woman had been asked to leave a nightclub by bouncers due to her extreme intoxication. As she tried to phone her girlfriend, Hotak, then 22, began following her. A voicemail on her phone captured her urgently telling him to stop, according to evidence presented at Southampton Crown Court.

She later recalled waking up in Hotak’s home with him on top of her, sexually assaulting and then raping her. Despite her repeated pleas to stop, she felt powerless against his significant force.

After escaping, she immediately contacted police. An intimate swab from her matched Hotak’s DNA, leading to his arrest and conviction.

Victim’s Devastating Impact Statement

Reading her statement in court, the victim described living in constant fear since the attack. It scarred every aspect of her life, triggering self-harm and a suicide attempt.

“What happened to me destroyed my life in ways I never thought possible,” she said. “I didn’t just feel violated, I felt erased. Since that day I have lived in fear, shame, silence, and unbearable pain that I can’t fully describe. I was left feeling broken, empty, and terrified of the world around me.”

Judge’s Sentence and Remarks

Judge Gary Lucie imposed a 10-year term, plus a four-year extended licence period. He also issued an indefinite restraining order barring Hotak from contacting the victim and placed him on the sex offenders’ register indefinitely.

Addressing Hotak through a Pashtu interpreter, the judge noted: “The Home Office will consider whether to deport you.” He highlighted how Hotak exploited the woman’s drunken state, causing severe, lifelong psychological harm.

The judge praised the victim’s courage: “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 Government Response

Elizabeth Medland from the Crown Prosecution Service stated: “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, whose powerful witness testimony was instrumental in securing a conviction.”

A Home Office spokesperson confirmed: “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.”