Two 17-year-olds were jailed after a serious attack on a 15-year-old girl in Leamington Spa. Both had arrived in the UK only months earlier as unaccompanied asylum seekers from Afghanistan.

The incident happened on May 10. Part of it was captured on the girl’s phone. However, a defense lawyer told the court the footage was so harrowing that public release could spark unrest.

Judge Sylvia de Bertodano sentenced Jan Jahanzeb to ten years and eight months. She gave Israr Niazal nine years and ten months. Moreover, the court allowed the media to publish their names, given the gravity of the crime.

The judge said the pair had betrayed the trust placed in genuine refugees. She added that they should feel a lasting sense of shame. She also indicated she would recommend the Home Secretary consider deportation after their sentences.

The victim’s statement was heartbreaking. She said the attack had changed her life, left her fearful, and disrupted vital GCSE studies. Her words highlighted the long shadows such crimes cast over young survivors.

Police praised the quick actions of a passer-by who helped the girl reach a station. There, officers secured key evidence. Meanwhile, the case has renewed debate over safeguarding, asylum processes, and the handling of violent offenses involving minors.

For the victim and her family, the focus now is recovery—and the long work of healing.