Two Afghan Teen Asylum Seekers Jailed for Rape of 15-Year-Old Girl in UK
A British court on Monday, December 7, sentenced two 17-year-old Afghan asylum seekers to lengthy prison terms for the rape of a 15-year-old girl. The teenagers, Jan Jahanzaib and Esrar Niazle, assaulted the girl in a park after separating her from her group of friends.
According to a Reuters report, the victim was not in a normal state at the time of the attack but managed to record a video of herself. The footage, presented as evidence in court, included audio of her pleas for help and crying. Following the court proceedings, Jahanzaib was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison, while Niazle received over nine years.
Niazle’s lawyer stated that his client’s father served in the former Afghan army and had migrated to the UK via the English Channel last year. Jahanzaib had also entered the UK through the same route after several failed attempts.
Judge Sylvia Bertodano, while delivering the verdict, clarified that both individuals will be deported from the UK after serving their prison terms. She said their actions undermined public trust and damaged the reputation of other asylum seekers.
The incident comes a month after another Afghan national in the UK confessed to raping a 12-year-old girl. The recent spate of such crimes has intensified debate around asylum seekers and immigration laws in the UK, increasing pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to take stricter measures against illegal crossings via the English Channel.
