
A storm of indignation has swept across Bolton and Greater Manchester following the charging of 28-year-old Afghan national Sultani Bakatash for the rape and sexual assault of two 14-year-old girls in a residential flat, a case that has reignited urgent debate about child protection, online grooming, and immigration scrutiny.
In what police have described as a 'deeply concerning' incident, Bakatash was arrested early on Sunday, 7 December, after a report of a serious sexual assault at a flat in the Middle Hulton area of Bolton. He has since been charged with two counts of rape of a girl under 16, one count of sexual assault, and one count of assault by penetration.