Two Afghan asylum seekers have been jailed for abducting and raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl in a Leamington Spa park. Jan Jahanzeb, 17, received a youth detention term of 10 years and eight months, while Israr Niazal, also 17, was sentenced to nine years and 10 months at Warwick Crown Court on Monday. Both arrived in the UK as unaccompanied child asylum seekers via small boats and were living in taxpayer-funded accommodation at the time of the attack on May 10.
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano condemned their actions in stark terms. «What you two did on that evening changed her life forever. No child should have to suffer the ordeal that she suffered,» she told the court. The judge emphasized that the victim's protests made consent impossible to claim: «This is a case where it was absolutely clear to both of you that you were taking a child away from her friends in the face of her vigorous protests to somewhere that could not be observed in order to commit this offence.»
The attack unfolded on a Saturday afternoon in parkland next to Newbold Comyn. The victim, who rated her intoxication level as eight out of 10, was led away from her friends to a secluded "bushy den type of area." She recorded parts of the ordeal on her phone, capturing herself saying «you're going to rape me» and screaming «help.» Prosecutor Shawn Williams described the footage as «of a very distressing nature,» adding: «The evidence of lack of consent is overwhelming. The facts reveal a deeply distressing and predatory sexual offence on a vulnerable and highly intoxicated 15-year-old.»
Victim Impact
The victim's statement to the court revealed the profound toll of the attack. «The day I was raped changed me as a person. I'm no longer a happy, care-free teenager. This was my first sexual experience,» she said. She described feeling unsafe and avoiding going out altogether. «I hate that I'm now looked at as a victim, even though that is exactly what I am,» she added. The assault impacted her education during her GCSE exams.
Legal Challenge Lifts Naming Ban
The Daily Mail successfully challenged a reporting restriction that initially prevented the teenagers from being named. Judge de Bertodano ruled that «the balance clearly falls in favour of the public interest» in allowing their identities to be reported. Defense barrister Joshua Radcliffe had opposed the application, warning that public exposure to the «genuinely horrific footage» could lead to «disorder on our hands.» Sam Rowe, representing the newspaper, argued there was national concern about sex crimes committed by asylum seekers and that the defendants «plainly pose a grave risk to children.»
Deportation and Asylum Status
Both youths were ordered to register as sex offenders. Jahanzeb has been served with deportation notification papers and faces removal from the UK. Niazal, however, has not been ordered to leave due to a legal technicality - he pleaded guilty one day before turning 17, which impacts deportation proceedings. His barrister suggested this would allow him to «make a life for himself in this country» after release, though the judge noted the Home Secretary could still intervene in his asylum claim.
Jahanzeb arrived in the UK in January after three failed attempts to cross the Channel, during which French police repeatedly cut up his dinghy. Niazal arrived in November 2024.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
