Key Points
- A 28-year-old Afghan national, Sultani Bakatash, is on trial at Bolton Crown Court accused of raping and sexually assaulting two 14-year-old girls inside his flat.
- The defendant faces two counts of rape of a girl under the age of 16, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault, all of which he denies.
- One of the teenage complainants told police officers in her recorded interview that she "kept thinking I was going to die" during the alleged ordeal.
- The prosecution stated that Bakatash, who holds indefinite leave to remain in the United Kingdom, had allegedly been in contact with the victims online prior to meeting them.
- Greater Manchester Police arrested the defendant in the early hours of Sunday, 7 December 2025, following reports of an attack in the Middle Hulton area of Bolton.
- The defence maintains that the allegations are denied, while the prosecution asserts the defendant used his flat to carry out the serious sexual offences.
Bolton (Bolton Today) June 17, 2026 - A teenage girl told police officers she "kept thinking I was going to die" after she was allegedly isolated, raped, and sexually assaulted by a man inside his residential flat, a jury at Bolton Crown Court has heard. Sultani Bakatash, aged 28, is currently standing trial facing a string of serious indictable-only offences involving two underage complainants, both aged 14 at the time of the alleged incidents. The prosecution alleges that the defendant used internet communication platforms to establish contact with the young girls before arranging to meet them in person, an interaction that culminated in the alleged attacks inside his property in the Middle Hulton area of the town. Bakatash denies all the charges brought against him, including two counts of rape of a child under the age of 16, two counts of assault by penetration, and one count of sexual assault.
What Did the Complainant Tell Police About the Flat Incident?
As reported by Chief Reporter Joe Harrigan of The Bolton News, the jury was presented with harrowing vital evidence detailing the psychological and physical impact of the alleged evening on one of the young victims. In a pre-recorded video interview played directly to the courtroom, the teenage girl vividly recalled her feelings of absolute helplessness during the encounter. She disclosed to interviewing officers that the situation escalated rapidly to a point where she felt her life was actively in danger, stating explicitly that she "kept thinking I was going to die" whilst trapped inside the defendant's accommodation.
According to further details compiled across regional media units, including reports by Laura O'Neill of BBC One North West Tonight, the complainant described being gripped by panic as she was subjected to non-consensual sexual acts. The prosecution notes that both complainants, who are legally entitled to lifelong anonymity under UK law due to their ages and the nature of the charges, have given detailed accounts of how a supposedly benign meeting turned into a traumatic confinement. The trial judge, His Honour Judge Nicholas Clarke KC, the Honorary Recorder of Bolton, directed the jury to carefully evaluate the reliability and emotional state of the young witnesses during their video-recorded testimonies.
Who Is the Defendant Sultani Bakatash?
As reported by the specialist crime correspondence team at ITV News Granada, Sultani Bakatash is a 28-year-old national of Afghanistan who has been residing in the United Kingdom for approximately two years. The court was informed during the preliminary administrative and management hearings that Bakatash has been formally granted indefinite leave to remain (ILR) by the Home Office. He lives in the country alongside several members of his immediate family, including his mother, two brothers, and two sisters, establishing a domestic footprint within the Greater Manchester area.
During his initial appearances before the magistrates and his formal arraignment at the Crown Court, Bakatash required the assistance of a professional court-appointed interpreter specialising in the Dari language—one of the primary languages spoken natively in Afghanistan. Appearing via video link from HMP Forest Bank in Salford during his pre-trial custody periods, the defendant sat quietly as the strictly technical indictments were read out to the court. The prosecution team, led by standard Crown counsel, emphasised that the defendant’s legal residency status does not alter the framework of criminal accountability regarding the strict laws governing consent and minors within the United Kingdom.
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How Did Greater Manchester Police Respond to the Reports?
As reported in an official police briefing broadcast by ITV News Granada, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched a rapid, resource-intensive investigation immediately after receiving an emergency report in the early hours of Sunday, 7 December 2025. The initial emergency call indicated that a serious sexual assault had taken place during the late-night hours of Saturday, 6 December 2025, inside a flat situated within the Middle Hulton district of Bolton. Detectives and local patrol units deployed to the scene immediately, securing the physical premises for forensic analysis and moving to apprehend the suspect before the break of dawn.
Following the initial arrest, senior officers moved swiftly to reassure a highly concerned local community. As reported by local independent journalists covering the Greater Manchester court beat, Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley, the GMP Bolton District Commander, issued a formal public statement outlining the framework of the police response:
"This is a deeply concerning report, and our priority is supporting the two young girls and their families at this traumatic time. We have acted quickly since this was reported to us in the last 48 hours, and we've been using all available resources to understand what has happened and help this case progress through court."
Chief Superintendent Critchley further emphasized the wider institutional commitment of the force, stating,
"We remain firmly committed to protecting young girls in Bolton and across Greater Manchester and to help people feel safe in their neighbourhood."
She concluded by appealing directly to the public for procedural cooperation, adding,
"I ask that the public continue to support us while we do whatever is necessary to support the girls and to get this case solved."
What Evidentiary Details Were Revealed About Online Contact?
As reported by regional legal correspondents for the independent publication Večer, who tracked the international distribution of the Greater Manchester case file, the investigation uncovered a distinct digital footprint connecting the defendant to the two teenage victims. The prosecution’s case opens with the assertion that Bakatash actively utilized social media or messaging applications to initiate and maintain communication with the 14-year-old girls. This digital grooming or pre-meeting dialogue occurred entirely online before any physical rendezvous was scheduled in the real world.
The police digital forensics unit extracted data from mobile devices to reconstruct the timeline of messages exchanged leading up to the night of 6 December. According to the prosecution's opening statement, these electronic exchanges are critical because they demonstrate how the young girls were induced to travel to the Middle Hulton locality. The Crown argues that the girls' vulnerability was systematically exploited through these online interactions, leading them to enter an environment where they lacked the protection of peers or guardians, thereby creating the conditions under which the alleged rapes and penetrative assaults occurred.
What Happened During the Initial Court Proceedings?
As reported by prosecutor Gabrielle Bann-Khellaf during the initial emergency hearing at Manchester Magistrates' Court, the Crown formally opposed any granting of bail to the defendant due to the extreme severity of the indictable-only offences. The prosecution argued that given the potential prison sentences associated with multiple counts of rape of a child and assault by penetration, the defendant posed a substantial flight risk and a potential threat to public safety. The defence solicitor representing Bakatash submitted a formal application for bail, arguing for strict residential conditions and electronic tagging, noting his stable family ties in the UK.
However, the legal application for temporary release was firmly denied. As recorded in the official court logs, Mary Cash, the chairwoman of the magistrates' bench, formally refused the defence's application and remanded Bakatash into custody. Addressing the defendant through his Dari interpreter, Mary Cash stated:
“These are indictable only offences, so we are sending your case to the Crown Court at Bolton.”
The case was subsequently transferred to the higher court network, where it fell under the jurisdiction of Judge Nicholas Clarke KC. Throughout the subsequent case management stages and the eventual formal plea hearing on 28 January 2026, the court strictly managed the flow of information, implementing rigorous reporting restrictions under Section 45 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to guarantee that no details capable of identifying the two 14-year-old complainants could be published by any media outlet.
What Is the Current Status of the Bolton Crown Court Trial?
As reported by the dynamic court reporting desk of The Bolton News, the trial is currently unfolding before a selected jury of twelve citizens who are tasked with determining the factual guilt or innocence of Sultani Bakatash. The defence team has maintained a position of total denial regarding every single count on the indictment. During the cross-examination of the police investigators, the defence scrutinized the consistency of the statements provided by the young girls, raising questions regarding the precise timeline of events inside the Middle Hulton flat and the legal definition of consent as applicable to the secondary charges.
The prosecution continues to present its case systematically, leaning heavily on the emotional weight of the victims' direct testimonies, the forensic data recovered from the flat, and the digital message logs. Chief Superintendent Helen Critchley had previously issued a strict warning to the wider public to let the judicial system operate without external interference, stating,
"As criminal proceedings are now active, I urge the public not to speculate so that the legal process can take its proper course and the dignity of the girls is maintained."
The trial continues at Bolton Crown Court, with further witness statements and expert forensic testimonies scheduled to be heard over the coming days.