Authorities have been accused of attempting to conceal a shocking child rape case involving two Afghan migrants, the Daily Mail reportedl.
The police and judiciary allegedly shrouded the case of Jan Jahanzeb and Israr Niazal in secrecy "from start to finish" after they were arrested for raping a 15-year-old schoolgirl.
The teenagers were jailed last Monday for abducting and raping the girl in the picturesque town of Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, sparking widespread public outrage.
However, despite arriving in the UK by small boat just months before the attack, Warwickshire Police described the asylum seekers as "two 17-year-old boys from Leamington" when announcing the charges, while referring to their child victim as a "young woman."
Trial held in youth court, preventing public attendance and imposing anonymity
In a move later criticized by a senior judge, the boys stood trial before a youth court, meaning members of the public could not attend and strict anonymity rules were in place. Their identities were only revealed when the case was sent to Warwick Crown Court for sentencing and the media successfully challenged the anonymity restrictions.
Judge lambasts handling of case by lower court
Judge Sylvia de Bertodano expressed her surprise and disappointment at how the case was handled by the lower court, stating it was "very, very surprising" and "unfortunate" that the two boys had not been immediately sent before the crown court "given the real seriousness of the offences".
This latest transparency fiasco comes just months after it was reported the same police force was accused of attempting to hush up the immigration status of two other Afghan asylum seekers charged with raping a 12-year-old in nearby Nuneaton, fearing it would "inflame community tensions".
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick said, "The police appear to have lied to the public in order to downplay this appalling crime." He added that the case had been "shrouded in secrecy" from "start to finish" and that the police should have been transparent from the beginning.
Harrowing audio recording captures schoolgirl's ordeal
The schoolgirl recorded a disturbing three-minute clip on her phone, capturing her weeping and saying "you're going to rape me" as the boys dragged her towards a dark park. The footage was so appalling that one of the boy's own barristers warned it would lead to rioting if the public were to see it.
Jahanzeb was ultimately jailed for 10 years and eight months, while Niazal received a sentence of nine years and 10 months. However, the judge told the boys they would have been jailed for 18 years if they were adults.
Warwickshire Police have now acknowledged that the victim should not have been described as a "young woman" in the force's initial witness appeal. A spokesman said, "We acknowledge that we referred to the victim as a young woman in the original witness appeal. We subsequently referred to her as a girl in all further updates - the original appeal is now amended."
Warwickshire Police were invited to comment by the Express via email.
