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A man, aged 41, has been jailed for 13 years after being found guilty of two counts of rape and coercive and controlling behaviour.
Aftab Zulfiqar (09/03/1985), of no fixed address, was sentenced at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court on 15th April 2026.
Through exceptional courage, the survivor came forward to report Zulfiqar, beginning a process that required her to confront and relive deeply traumatic experiences in pursuit of justice.
The survivor was in a relationship with Zulfiqar for three years, during which she was subjected to sustained and escalating abuse that had a profound impact on her life.
Zulfiqar controlled every aspect of her daily routine, including what she wore, when she slept, what she ate and drank, who she was allowed to speak to and how she lived, isolating her from friends and support networks.
His constant demands for contact while she was at work placed significant pressure on her which resulted in her losing a job she loved, increasing her reliance on him.
During the relationship, Zulfiqar raped her on multiple occasions, exploiting the trust of their relationship and manipulating her into believing the abuse was not rape.
Over three years, the survivor endured mental, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Despite the trauma she suffered, she showed exceptional courage in reporting Zulfiqar in October 2023 through our LiveChat function, concluding in him being arrested.
LiveChat is a great way to report crimes discreetly.
She fully supported the investigation and stood up in court to give evidence against the man who abused her.
The survivor, in her victim impact statement, said:
“My relationship with Aftab has had a huge impact on my life, more than can be put into words really. I had little confidence any way but since being with Aftab, I have none at all.
“He drilled it into me that much that I’m ugly and worthless that I believed it and now struggle with confidence, and I don’t want to meet anyone.
“I don’t think I could ever trust someone again, I gave Aftab everything and he was never nice to me.
“I was so scared of doing anything wrong. At the smallest thing, he would attack me then throw me out of his flat.
“I was always to blame for everything – he once stood on the plug of my hair dryer and then smashed my hairdryer up and physically attacked me because it was somehow my fault.
“It makes me worried for future relationships and how I’ll be because I am so deeply hurt.
“I really feel that my relationship with Aftab and everything he has put me through will stay with me forever, but I’m determined that he hasn’t won, and I can now start to live a peaceful life after being put through 5 and a half years of hell.”
Following his arrest, Zulfiqar continued to cause distress by posting about the investigation and those involved on social media, leading to his remand in custody, where he has remained since September 2024.
Detective Constable Lucy Hamilton said:
“I want to commend the survivor for the remarkable courage she has shown in coming forward and supporting this investigation.
“Reporting offences of this nature is incredibly difficult, and it is through her bravery that a very dangerous man is now behind bars.
“We want to be absolutely clear: we take all reports of rape and sexual offences extremely seriously, and we will relentlessly pursue perpetrators.
“It is also vital that people understand coercive and controlling behaviour is a criminal offence and will not be tolerated.
“I hope this outcome provides the survivor with some measure of justice as she continues to rebuild her life. Her courage has protected other women from harm, and we will continue to stand with her, and every survivor, in the fight to bring offenders like Zulfiqar to justice."