Rapists to be jailed

Police decline photo request

ger they pose, but were warned they face long sentences next month.

The victim told the jury: “I’m not sure how many were in the room; I think there were four or five of them.

“They were all pushing me to each other. One of them pushed me on to the bed. They were all laughing.

“They were laughing as they walked over. I think there were one or two by the door.”

The teenager said one of the men held her shoulders so she couldn’t move. “I can’t remember much after that to be honest. They kept swapping over – they were having sex. I told them to stop. I moved but they just carried on.”

Prosecutor Simon Taylor told how the teenager was repeatedly raped on a grubby mattress in Hamidy’s room.

After she was abused, she was led into the street in a distressed state and left alone. Fortunately, she was found by a woman who took her into the safety of her home and the police were called. You may be wondering why the Gazette is carrying a picture of just one of the four rapists.

Under their guidelines, Kent Police say they will only release a convicted defendant’s mugshot when they receive a custodial sentence of one year or longer.

Despite the starting point for the rape of a victim aged 16 or over being five years, the force has declined to release images of the rapists until they are sentenced next month.

It has previously circulated custody pictures to the press ahead of a sentencing hearing.

The Gazette only has a mugshot of Rafiullah Hamidy because it was circulated by Kent Police after he fled the country following the rape and was put on the force’s most wanted list.

He was eventually detained in southern Italy and brought back to the UK after police secured a European arrest warrant.

Picture: Kent Police Rafiullah Hamidy was one of the gang