Brutal Attack in Newbold Comyn Park
Two 17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers, Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal, have been locked up for almost two decades after raping a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire. Jahanzeb was handed 10 years and eight months, while Niazal got nine years and ten months in youth detention.
The pair forced the terrified girl through Newbold Comyn Park at night, assaulting her as she screamed for help. Crucial mobile phone footage recorded by the victim captured parts of the ordeal, sealing the attackers’ fate in court.
Victim’s Chilling Plea for Help Ignored
CCTV and phone clips showed Jahanzeb and Niazal flanking the girl, pushing her along despite her loud protests and desperate screams. Prosecutor Shawn Williams revealed how the girl begged a female passer-by to intervene — but help never came.
“She is heard screaming for help, she wants her friends, she wants to go home. She is heard explicitly saying, ‘You are going to rape me, let me go.’ Jahanzeb is heard telling her to shush and putting his hand over her mouth to silence her,” Williams stated.
The girl eventually escaped and was rescued by a Good Samaritan who called 999. Williams described the video as “highly distressing” and confirmed neither defendant could have believed the victim consented.
Judge Slams Attackers: ‘You Have Robbed the Girl of Her Childhood’
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano condemned the pair, describing the footage as “highly distressing to watch.” She told them: “You have robbed the girl of her childhood. Her life has been turned upside down by what happened.”
The judge rejected defence pleas to keep the attackers’ identities secret. She highlighted the betrayal of other asylum seekers who respect UK laws and insisted the defendants knew full well that what they were doing was a crime.
Sentences, Deportation, and Victim Impact
- Jahanzeb, a repeat Channel crosser, will be deported after serving his sentence as he nears 18.
- Niazal, who arrived in the UK in 2024 as an unaccompanied minor, pleaded guilty just before turning 17 and may remain in the UK as his asylum claim is pending.
- Defence lawyers unsuccessfully tried to hide their clients’ asylum status citing fear of “public disorder.”
The victim, who courageously attended court with her mother behind a screen, told how the attack shattered her life. “I’m no longer a happy, carefree teenager. Every time I go out, I don’t feel safe,” she said.
Her mother added: “We have watched our vibrant, confident daughter shrink and suffer from anxiety so bad she is often physically sick. Something broke in all of us that day.”
CPS Vows Tough Justice
Ben Samples from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “These convictions reflect the deliberate and deeply harmful choices made by the defendants, who targeted and assaulted a vulnerable young victim.”
He stressed the CPS’s commitment to robustly prosecuting sexual offences and supporting victims at every stage.
