'Depraved' men guilty of teen gang rape in Ramsgate

Four men who "saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires" have been convicted of raping a 16-year-old girl.

The men attacked the girl after she asked them for directions to her friend's house following a night out in Ramsgate, Kent.

Instead of helping her, they took her to a flat and raped her.

The men, all from Kent, denied the charge but were found guilty at Canterbury Crown Court on Friday.

Rafiullah Hamidy, 24, of High Street, Herne Bay; Shershah Muslimyar, 20, of Hovenden Close, Canterbury; Tamin Rahmani, 37, of Northwood Road, Ramsgate; and Hamid Mohamadi, 18, formerly of Boughton Aluph, Ashford, raped the girl.

They attacked her at Rahmani's home in the early hours of 18 September 2016.

After her ordeal, the victim was taken out of the building and left.

'Betrayed'

Two people returning from a night out saw her crying in the street. They invited her into their home and reported the incident to police.

Det Insp Richard Vickery said: "It was late at night, she was lost and she asked a group of men for directions. Instead, they saw an opportunity to fulfil their depraved sexual desires and betrayed the trust she placed in them in the worst possible way."

With forensic evidence and CCTV footage, Rahmani was arrested later the same day, with Muslimyar and Mohamadi soon after.

Hamidy could not be traced so Kent Police put out a wanted appeal.

It was discovered he had fled to Taranto in southern Italy, where he was detained by local officers.

Hamidy was returned to the UK following an extradition hearing and taken into custody at Heathrow Airport on 28 March.

The men have been remanded in custody, with a sentencing date to be fixed.