The conviction of two Afghan ‘small boat’ asylum seekers for orally raping a teenage girl was bad enough—but those close to the case fear matters could get much worse.
Unusually given their purported age, Judge Sylvia De Bertodano lifted reporting restrictions and allowed the naming of Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal—who both claim to be about 17, but threw away their documents before arriving on UK shores illegally—in the public interest.
Jahanzeb has had a deportation application submitted for when his criminal sentence ends, while Niazal, allegedly 16 at the time the rape was committed in May 2025, cannot be automatically deported—although the Secretary of State may yet intervene here. The judge also argued that the pair “betrayed” those who come to Britain for sanctuary and obey the law, perhaps overlooking widespread arrivals using illegal means.
It is striking that even a lawyer defending one of the migrants described as ‘horrific’ the phone camera footage captured by the teenage victim as she was raped by the Afghans, predicting it would spark ‘disorder’ if it was released.
Warwick Crown Court heard the pair led the girl under duress into what was described as a “den-type” area in a park, where they pushed her to the ground and sexually assaulted her, despite most of the ordeal being recorded.
The attack took place in the Warwickshire constituency of Leamington MP Matt Western, who condemned the attack and emphasised the need for stronger action to tackle violence against women and girls. Western also called for an urgent meeting with gormless Justice Secretary David Lammy to clarify the sentences and deportation process.
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