Afghan national Afsar Safi, who arrived in the UK by small boat in 2021, has had his sentence increased from two years and six months to four years for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a seven year old girl after the Court of Appeal ruled his original sentence unduly lenient. On September 6, 2025, Safi approached the seven-year-old girl at his asylum hotel in Acton, west London, and offered her an apple before inviting her to his room. She refused five times before Safi grabbed her by the arm and forced her into his room, where he kissed her on the cheek. Speaking through a Pashto interpreter, he later admitted kissing the child, claiming he acted out of love for children and that people did this back home. The girl managed to escape and alert hotel security. In court, she described being too frightened to tell Safi to stop. Her victim impact statement revealed the lasting psychological effects of the assault, including nightmares that caused her to wake up crying. She also continues to feel unsafe around men when alone. Safi denied both charges but was subsequently convicted of kidnapping and sexual assault of a child at Isleworth Crown Court on April 27, 2026. His defence referred to his difficult childhood, claiming he had been taken from his family at the age of 10 and forced to work for the Taliban. His barrister said Safi had received just three years of education and spoke limited English. His asylum claim, which reportedly referenced links to the Taliban from childhood, was refused. On June 12, 2026, Safi was initially sentenced to two years and six months in prison. Reports stated he could potentially be released on licence after serving as little as six months. The Solicitor General challenged the sentence as unduly lenient and insufficient to reflect the seriousness of the offences. On October 23, 2026, the Court of Appeal increased Safi’s sentence to four years. Lord Justice Jeremy Baker said it was difficult to escape the conclusion that Safi had selected the girl because of her age and inability to resist, ruling that the original sentence failed to reflect the seriousness of his offending. Safi was also placed on the sex offenders register for seven years. Despite Safi arriving in the UK by small boat in 2021 and being convicted of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a seven year old child, there was no mention in court or police statements of deportation proceedings or any recommendation that he be removed from the UK after completing his sentence. #UKNews #CrimeNews #Acton #London