Teenage Rapist Jailed for Kidnapping and Sexual Assault in Oldham
Arselaan Nawaz, 17, from Laceby Avenue in Oldham, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following a harrowing attack on a lone woman outside a gym. The incident, which occurred in the early morning hours, involved kidnapping, robbery, and rape, as detailed during proceedings at Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester.
On the morning of the attack, around 6:30am, Nawaz cycled to a car park in Oldham and loitered near the gym entrance, as captured on CCTV footage. He targeted a woman who arrived alone in her car and parked some distance from the entrance. Approaching her as she exited the vehicle, Nawaz brandished a knife and demanded her car keys. Despite her pleas to be let go, he forced her into the backseat, threatening to kill her if she shouted or attempted to flee. He then drove the vehicle to a nearby industrial estate.
- At the industrial estate, Nawaz climbed into the backseat and kissed the woman against her will.
- The judge noted that Nawaz had brought a condom and knife in preparation for the assault, leaving the victim with a bruise on her neck after ordering her to undress.
- During the rape, as the woman wept, Nawaz callously told her to 'shut up and stop crying'.
- After the attack, he demanded her mobile phone, used her sock to clean the car's interior, and kissed her again before fleeing with the phone, later inserting his SIM card into it.
The court heard that Nawaz was convicted of rape and possession of a knife after a trial, having previously pleaded guilty to kidnap and robbery. Judge Matthew Corbett-Jones, presiding, condemned the premeditated nature of the crime, stating: 'You clearly got the condom and the knife with you in preparation for this attack.' He described the victim as a 'remarkable lady' who, despite ongoing trauma and constant fear, remains determined to rebuild her life.
In a poignant victim impact statement read to the court, the woman expressed profound devastation: 'You have completely broken me, I am totally heartbroken from this... I am now a statistic no woman wants to be a part of. I am a victim of rape, it hurts my heart but I am not defined by rape.' She detailed her daily struggles with fear, memory issues, and guilt, emphasising the ripple effects on her family.
Mitigating, Howard Bernstein highlighted Nawaz's diagnoses of ADHD, severe language disorder, and depression, along with a history of childhood abuse, neglect, and possible modern slavery. However, he acknowledged these did not excuse the behaviour. Nawaz does not accept his rape conviction, claiming the sexual act was 'unrequited and non-consensual' from his perspective. Prior to this offence, Nawaz had received a caution two months earlier for taking a vehicle without consent, involving a similar carjacking incident with a mother and child.
The sentencing on 25 July 2024 lifted a reporting restriction, allowing Nawaz's identification despite his age, following a successful challenge by the Manchester Evening News. He was placed on the Sex Offender Register for life and must serve two-thirds of his custodial term before release, with an extended licence period of four years. Greater Manchester Police investigated the case.