Woman screams ‘he doesn’t have herpes’ as rapist is jailed for store bathroom assault
An unidentified woman interrupted a teenaged rapist’s sentencing at Birmingham Crown Court by shouting ‘the defendant does not have herpes’ before being ushered from the courtroom
Wahidullah Hotak, 18 (Image: West Midlands Police)
A woman shouted “the defendant does not have herpes” in a bizarre court outburst as a teen rapist was jailed. Wahidullah Hotak, 18, forced a 24-year-old woman into performing a sexual act in the loo of a Wednesbury shop, where he was employed.
He was handed a seven-year sentence with an additional three-year licence at Birmingham Crown Court on Thursday, May 7, after being convicted of one count of rape.
The victim had been out drinking on February 27 last year and was under the influence when she entered Hotak’s shop asking for a toilet to use. After the woman entered the shop, the teen exploited her sexually assaulting the 24-year-old – leaving her in a vulnerable state.
In a heartfelt impact statement, she outlined the aftermath of the incident, including being informed at a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) that she might have HIV or hepatitis, reports Birmingham Live.
The victim also mentioned developing blisters, stating: “They were probably herpes because of the assault.”
An unidentified older woman in the public gallery was triggered into a response from the victim’s statement.
She had remained quiet during the hearing but as soon as Hotak’s sentence was confirmed, she stood up and yelled towards Judge Simon Drew KC, and said: “The defendant does not have herpes.”
The judge directed her to cease her outbursts as she was escorted from the courtroom. It was subsequently confirmed that she had links to Hotak.
The Afghan national arrived in the UK in 2023 and has had one asylum application refused, though he planned to challenge the verdict.
There was also controversy surrounding his age, with prosecutors initially believing he was 26 until documentation from the Afghanistan Ministry of Interior Affairs verified he was now 18, but had been 17 when the attack occurred.
This matter proved crucial to his sentencing, with Judge Drew stating Hotak’s prison term would have been around ten years before considering his mitigation.
He determined the teenager was a “dangerous offender” and said: “This was a stranger rape and you accept no responsibility for your part in it.
“I find you pose a significant risk of causing serious harm to the public as a result of committing further specified – that’s serious – offences.”
Francesca Perera, representing Hotak, said he had experienced a “difficult upbringing” before fleeing Afghanistan.
The barrister emphasised she did not wish to diminish the overall impact on the victim, but said there was no medical evidence to support the herpes claim.
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