Seven Afghan men deny charges over alleged abuse of two teenage girls
Seven Afghan men have pleaded not guilty to 38 charges linked to alleged group-based sexual exploitation of two teenage girls in Norwich. Their trial has been moved from Norwich to Southwark Crown Court and is expected to begin no earlier than May 2027.
The alleged offences took place between August 2023 and May 2025, when the girls were in their early to mid-teens. All seven defendants are in custody; police said they had been granted asylum and that none of the alleged offending took place in asylum hotels. An eighth suspect was arrested in Ireland, where legal steps are under way to seek his return to the UK.
In short
- Seven men deny 38 charges involving two teenage girls.
- The alleged offences span August 2023 to May 2025.
- Trial is expected in Southwark from May 2027 at the earliest.
Explained simply
The case concerns allegations that two girls were sexually exploited by groups of men in Norwich over a period of nearly two years. The girls were in their early to mid-teens at the time; the charges are allegations, and the defendants have denied them.
The seven men charged are in custody while the case proceeds through the courts. An eighth suspect was arrested in Ireland, and legal proceedings are under way to return him to the UK. The case matters because the court will examine the evidence and determine whether the defendants are guilty.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Afghan asylum seekers who came to UK on boats and lorries who ‘raped two girls in their early to mid-teens’ face 2027 trial”.