Teenage Afghan asylum seekers who abducted and raped girl, 15, sentenced

Two 17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers have been sentenced for abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa.
Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal led the “highly distressed” victim away from her friends near the town centre, taking her to a secluded “den-type” area in nearby parkland. There, they pushed her to the ground and attacked her.
Sentencing the pair at Warwick Crown Court, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano said the teenagers ignored the girl’s “vigorous protests” and told them their actions had “changed her life forever”.
“No child should have to suffer the ordeal that she suffered,” she said. “It’s clear from the footage we have seen that no one can seriously suggest you believed she was consenting. You both knew perfectly well what you were doing was criminal and wrong.”
The judge lifted previous reporting restrictions, saying the defendants had “betrayed” those who come to the UK seeking safety and who respect the law.
Prosecutor Shawn Williams confirmed both boys arrived in the UK last year as unaccompanied child asylum seekers. The offence took place in May.
Police recovered “highly distressing” phone footage in which the victim screamed for help before Jahanzeb covered her mouth. CCTV showed the terrified girl being led against her will to a hidden area. She later told officers she had been pushed to her knees before being raped.
The prosecution said Jahanzeb likely carried out the rape, with Niazal present and participating, and that the victim made “explicit verbal protests” during what they described as an abduction.
Jahanzeb, who has been served with deportation papers, was sentenced to ten years and eight months in youth detention. Niazal received nine years and ten months and may also face deportation. Both will begin their sentences in a young offenders’ institution before being transferred to an adult prison later.
The pair had previously pleaded guilty to rape. They were also ordered to register as sex offenders.
Detective Chief Inspector Richard Hobbs said the teenagers “went out of their way to befriend the victim with the intention of raping her”, adding that the sentences reflect the seriousness of the crime and the need to protect the public.
Judge de Bertodano also praised the victim for being “beyond brave” after attending court earlier in the case, when the defendants had initially planned to plead not guilty.