Afghan jailed for raping two women in Australia

Melbourne, April 14 (IANS) An Afghan asylum seeker in Australia, who said he did not understand the concept of consensual sex, has been jailed for nine years for brutally raping two women.

The 30-year-old Afghan, Esmatullah Sharifi, may be deported after being eligible for parole in 2019, The Australian daily reported.

He was sentenced for the rape of an 18-year-old woman to whom he offered a lift after they met outside a nightclub in 2008 in Melbourne.

Five days later, he abducted and raped another intoxicated woman, who later jumped out of his moving car to escape.

The Victorian county court judge said the rapes were "extremely violent".

A psychological report submitted to the court described the Afghan as "inexperienced in forming relationships with women".

It said Sharifi had an "unclear concept" of what constituted consent in sexual relations, but the judge said he could not accept it.

Sharifi suffered from post-traumatic stress after being persecuted by the Taliban. His father and uncle were murdered and he came to Australia via Pakistan in 2001, after receiving a temporary protection visa.

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