Two teenage Afghan nationals have been handed significant custodial sentences for the rape of a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa, a crime committed while both were under the care of UK local authorities.
Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal, both 17-year-old teenagers, pleaded guilty to the attack, which occurred months after their arrival in the country.
The Afghan asylum seekers sentenced for the rape case has prompted a rare lifting of reporting restrictions, with the judge citing the public interest in accurately identifying the perpetrators.
Committed grave offence while in state care
The court heard that both defendants were unaccompanied asylum seekers. Jahanzeb had entered the UK in January this year, classified as a minor, while Niazal had arrived the previous November.
Despite being accommodated by the state, the pair executed a coordinated attack on a local teenager.
Prosecutor Shawn Williams detailed how the defendants utilized their native language to communicate and plan the assault in the presence of the victim. Jahanzeb physically restrained the victim, silencing her screams, before they forced her into a secluded area.
The fact that the crime was committed by individuals actively receiving taxpayer-funded support and protection has drawn sharp criticism regarding the vetting and supervision of unaccompanied minors entering the UK especially from Afghanistan.
Deportation orders and legal precedent
Sentencing the Afghan teenagers, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano imposed a term of 10 years and eight months on Jahanzeb and nine years and 10 months on Niazal.
Additionally, the Home Office has already served deportation papers to Jahanzeb, and the judge formally invited the government to deport Niazal.
The judge’s decision to name the boys was explicitly intended to prevent “speculation” and ensure the public was informed about the identity of those responsible.
The victim’s impact statement revealed she no longer feels safe in her community, highlighting the severe social cost of this failure in the asylum process. Both offenders will now be on the Sex Offenders Register for life.
