An Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in the UK after crossing the English Channel in a small boat has been jailed after kidnapping and sexually assaulting a seven-year-old girl inside Government-funded temporary accommodation in West London. Afsar Safi, 30, was sentenced to two and a half years’ imprisonment after a jury convicted him of abducting the child and sexually assaulting her at a hotel in Acton used to house asylum seekers. The court heard Safi approached the seven-year-old while she was with her mother, offering her an apple before taking hold of her arm and leading her down a corridor. He then forced the child into his room, where the sexual assault took place. The girl was able to escape and alert hotel security staff, who immediately contacted police.
Victim Described Lasting Trauma
In a victim impact statement read to the court, the child said she had been “too scared to tell him to stop” during the attack. She also described continuing to suffer nightmares, telling the court they felt “real” and often caused her to wake up crying.
Asylum Claim Heard in Court
During sentencing, the court heard Safi arrived in Britain in 2021 after crossing the Channel by small boat. It was disclosed that he had claimed in his asylum application to have been associated with the Taliban from the age of 10. His asylum application was refused, but he remains in the UK while appealing that decision. Speaking through a Pashto interpreter during proceedings, Safi told the court he believed kissing children was culturally acceptable “back home”, adding: “I like children and she was a child.” His defence team argued he had been enslaved by the Taliban during his childhood and had received very little education.
Judge Condemns ‘Serious Breach of Trust’
Sentencing Safi, the judge described the offences as a “serious breach of trust” committed against an extremely vulnerable child. In addition to his prison sentence, Safi was ordered to sign the Sex Offenders Register for seven years. Under current sentencing rules, offenders can become eligible for release on licence before completing the full custodial term.
Safeguarding Questions Raised
The case has renewed scrutiny over safeguarding arrangements at hotels used to accommodate asylum seekers, particularly sites where families with children and single adult men are housed within the same premises. Child protection organisations and MPs have previously raised concerns about the suitability of such accommodation and the need for robust safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable residents.
Originally published by UKNIP.
