Two 19-year-olds detained in Sussex over alleged sexual assaults of teenage girls
Police in Crawley arrested an Iraqi and a Lebanese man, both 19, on charges of sexual offences against two teenage girls and human trafficking.
Officers from Sussex Police responded to a complaint that two schoolgirls, aged 15 and 16, had been sexually assaulted in a car park on Parkside in Crawley. The investigation led to the arrest of two 19-year-old men - Iraqi national Ali Farahang, residing on Hunter Road, and Lebanese national Adam Maina, living on Bath Road in London. Farahang faces charges of attempted rape and human trafficking, while Maina is charged with rape and the same trafficking offence under the Modern Slavery Act.
Both appeared before Brighton Magistrates' Court on Saturday, where a magistrate ordered them to remain in custody. They are scheduled for a future Crown Court appearance, and the victims will continue to receive specialist police support. Police have appealed for information related to the case via Operation Pleat.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious sexual violence and human-trafficking concerns affecting minors in the UK.
In this story
