An Afghan refugee, Rapualla Ahmadze, was sentenced to nine years in prison on Wednesday after being convicted of raping a 17-year-old girl in a public park in Scotland in October last year.
Ahmadze denied the charge, claiming the sexual encounter was consensual. He was also found guilty of making threats and engaging in abusive behaviour.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Thomas Welsh described the attack as “terrifying and violent,” underlining the severity of the offence.
Police Scotland said the victim had shown considerable courage throughout the investigation and trial. In a statement, the force added that the conviction and sentence send a clear message that sexual violence has no place in Scotland.
According to defence lawyer Shaun Alexander, Ahmadze was born in Afghanistan and arrived in the UK in 2023 after a long and difficult journey. He told the court he had joined the Afghan National Army as a teenager, was detained after the Taliban took control, escaped from prison, and sustained a gunshot wound while fleeing.
Alexander said a custodial sentence was unavoidable but warned that Ahmadze could face deportation to Afghanistan following his release, where his life may be at risk.
