Two teenage Afghan asylum seekers have been sentenced for abducting and raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal, both 17, received custodial sentences at Warwick Crown Court on Monday and face possible deportation.
The court heard the boys led the distressed victim to a 'den-type' area in May before pushing her to the ground and attacking her. Judge De Bertodano said they had 'robbed' the victim of her childhood, adding: 'What you two did on that evening changed [the victim’s] life for ever.'
In an impact statement, the victim said: 'The day I was raped changed me as a person. Every time I go out I don’t feel safe.' Her mother added: 'We have watched our vibrant happy and confident [daughter] shrink down and suffer with anxiety so bad that she’s often physically sick.'
Jahanzeb, who arrived in the UK in January, was sentenced to 10 years and eight months in youth detention. Niazal, who arrived in November 2024, received nine years and 10 months. Both must register as sex offenders for life and are subject to indefinite restraining orders.
The judge lifted reporting restrictions on the defendants' identities, stating a lack of information 'stokes public anger and leads to the unchecked spread of false information.' DCI Richard Hobbs of Warwickshire Police praised the victim's bravery, saying the sentence reflects the severity of the crime.
