Afghan asylum seekers who came to UK on boats and lorries who 'raped two girls in their early to mid-teens' face 2027 trial

A gang of Afghan asylum seekers accused of raping two teenage girls are set to face trial next year.Norfolk Police said the seven men – all small boat and lorry migrants – were charged as part of an investigation into group-based, child sexual exploitation in the city.The defendants, who are accused of sexual offences committed between August 2023 and May 2025, pleaded not guilty to all 38 counts during a hearing at Norwich Crown Court on Friday and were remanded in custody.The charges relate to two victims, who were aged in their early to mid-teens at the time of the alleged offences, police previously said.The 12-week trial had been due to begin at Norwich Crown Court on January 11, 2027, but will now take place at Southwark Crown Court next May at the earliest. Judge David Tomlinson said the earliest proposed start date was Tuesday, May 4, although no trial date or judge had yet been confirmed.The case had originally been kept in Norwich despite concerns about whether the court could accommodate the number of defendants, all of whom are in custody.The final suspect to be arrested, Shinwari, 20, entered the UK on a small boat in November 2022. Seven Afghan nationals were charged in May after an investigation into child sexual exploitation in Norwich Police carried out a major operation in which they raided six addresses in Norwich, and one in Dumbarton, and arrested the men The seven Afghans had been granted asylum in the UK, according to Norfolk PoliceThe seven Afghans had been granted asylum in the UK, according to Norfolk Police.Ahmadzai, 20, of Pottergate, Norwich, denies nine counts of rape, two counts of conspiracy to rape, one count of facilitating human trafficking and one count of perverting the course of justice.Khalili, 20, of High Street, Dumbarton, denies seven charges of rape, one count of conspiracy to rape and one count of facilitating human trafficking.Auryakhel, 20, of Eleanor Road, Norwich, denies one count of rape.Kaker, 20, of Black Horse Opening, Norwich, denies four counts of rape, one count of conspiracy to rape and one count of facilitating human trafficking.Mohammed Shinwary, 20, of St Benedicts Street, Norwich, denies two counts of rape.Ahamad, 21, of Pelham Road, Norwich, denies one count of rape and three counts of facilitating human trafficking.Davodzai, 20, denies four counts of rape and one count of conspiracy to rape.Bilal Shinwari denies four charges, including two counts of rape of a girl under 16, one count of conspiring to rape a girl under 16 and one of conspiring to rape a woman aged 16 or over.The alleged offences took place between August 2023 and May 2025.Police previously said five of the men had entered the country via small boat, one concealed in a lorry and the seventh attempted to enter the UK clandestinely via Portsmouth ferry port.Irish police, An Garda Síochána, have arrested an eighth suspect in Ireland and legal processes are underway to seek the 19-year-old man's return to the UK.Norfolk Police said none of the charged men have lived at asylum hotels in Norfolk and none of the alleged offending happened in asylum hotels.Detective Superintendent Stacey Murray previously said: 'At the heart of our investigation and at the forefront of our minds are the victims. Their safety and wellbeing are our primary concern and our priority.'I want to reassure everyone that we are being meticulous in our approach to this investigation.'A dedicated team continues to work solely on this to examine every available line of inquiry and gather evidence, while respecting the traumatic experiences of the victims.''We know from our work with the National Association for People Abused in Childhood (NAPAC) that victims may choose if, when, or whether to come forward.'The investigation and justice process can feel overwhelming, and risk may still be present. What matters is that, when they are ready, victims know they will be listened to, believed and supported.'