Wahidullah Hotak, an 18-year-old Afghan national, has been jailed for seven years with an extended three-year licence for raping a 24-year-old woman in Wednesbury, West Midlands. The attack occurred in the early hours after the victim entered a store to use the toilet following a night out at Wetherspoon's.
Victim's Harrowing Account
In a devastating victim impact statement, the woman described the assault's aftermath: 'I felt so dirty I was told I might have HIV, an STD or hepatitis from the assault.' She lost one of her two jobs due to panic attacks and developed physical symptoms including hair loss and acid reflux.
'My mental health has been massively affected by the assault,' she said. 'I can't say the word "rape" aloud.' The trauma has also impacted her family, with her mother checking on her breathing at night and her father becoming withdrawn with anger.
Offender Background
Hotak, of Douglas Road, Handsworth, fled Afghanistan and arrived in the UK in 2023. One of his asylum claims had already been rejected. At Birmingham Crown Court, he was declared a dangerous offender and sentenced to seven years in prison with an additional three-year licence period.
The case has drawn attention to the vulnerabilities of women and the need for justice in such serious crimes.
