Man Sentenced for Targeting and Assaulting Vulnerable Woman in Cheltenham

A 20-year-old man, Abdolrahman Banafsha, was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court on November 5 for sexually assaulting a vulnerable woman in Cheltenham in August 2024. At the time of the offense, Banafsha was 19 years old and has since admitted to multiple charges.

The court heard that Banafsha deliberately targeted an 18-year-old woman who was walking home alone after a night out. Surveillance footage revealed him trailing the victim from a distance before he approached her after she had fallen in a side street. Although she sought refuge inside a nearby pub’s restroom, she was refused entry as the venue was closed.

Banafsha then grabbed the woman’s arm and escorted her back to his accommodation, despite her attempts to break free, stating she had a boyfriend and wanted to go home. Inside the residence, he pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her. The victim bravely fought back, screaming and kicking, and was captured on CCTV fleeing the scene in distress.

Following a police investigation, Banafsha was charged with attempted rape. During his trial, he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault: inappropriate touching under and over clothing. The court accepted these pleas, avoiding a lengthy cross-examination for the victim.

In a poignant victim impact statement read aloud in court, the survivor described the profound changes the assault caused in her life: “I stopped going out, only leaving home with my boyfriend. I don’t drink unless I’m at home. I changed everything because I refuse to look like the same girl you assaulted.” She expressed her ongoing confusion and pain, stating, “I still don’t understand why you chose to do this to me, I will never understand.”

The probation service classified Banafsha as high risk, particularly to females. Defense counsel noted Banafsha’s change of plea after reviewing the evidence again but faced criticism for failing to alert pub staff when the victim asked to use the restroom.

Banafsha, an asylum seeker from Iran who arrived in the UK by small boat earlier in 2024, had been temporarily staying in Cheltenham at a friend’s home when the crime occurred.

Judge Julian Lambert remarked on the predatory nature of Banafsha’s conduct, sentencing him to 27 months in a young offender institution, alongside a 10-year placement on the Sex Offender Register with notification requirements.

Detective Constable Helen Goode applauded the victim’s courage and emphasized the importance of awareness and intervention in the night-time economy. She highlighted the ‘Ask for Angela’ scheme used in some venues to discreetly assist those in need and called for vigilance in spotting and preventing predatory behavior.

The community campaign ‘Project Vigilant’ was also mentioned as a proactive policing effort to identify and intervene in potentially harmful situations before offenses occur.

Under UK law, foreign nationals convicted of custodial sentences over 12 months face automatic referral for deportation.

This case underlines the ongoing need for vigilance, support, and proactive measures to protect individuals from sexual violence and to hold offenders accountable.