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Two men jailed following ‘extensive investigation’ after woman was raped in alleyway near Piccadilly Gardens

The pair have been handed lengthy sentences after the "vile and predatory attack".

Emily Sergeant - 22nd December 2023

Two men have been jailed for more than a decade after a woman was raped in Manchester city centre back in 2021.

Juan Quinones, 22, from Middleton in Rochdale, and Brian Jalo, 23, from Salford both appeared at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (21 December), and were eventually both jailed for 12 years following an “extensive” police investigation.

The horrific attack took place in an alleyway close to Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre on 16 May 2021.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explains that the attack occurred after the victim – who was just 18 at the time – and her friend met Quinones and Jalo the previous day, when the pair had approached the women, spoke to them for some time, and exchanged contact details on Instagram.

The following evening, on the night of the attack, the victim and her friend were staying in a hotel near Piccadilly Gardens, and after the two women returned to the hotel, the victim then left the hotel again on her own, and was subsequently spotted by Quinones and Jalo, who then proceeded to attack her and rape her in an alleyway.

The victim managed to make her way back to the hotel following the attack in a distressed state, although she lost her mobile phone during the incident, and this has never been recovered.

She then contacted police, and an investigation was immediately launched, GMP confirmed.

Following an appeal to the public for information, CCTV was provided to investigating officers which led to the identification and arrest of Jalo and Quinones on 19 May 2021, while a third man was later acquitted of sexual assault and aiding and abetting the rape.

“This was a vile and predatory attack on a lone woman by a pair who worked together to lure her away from safety in order to rape her,” commented Detective Constable Stuart Kassim, of GMP Longsight CID, after the men were jailed this week.

“Their actions were cold and calculating, and I am pleased the sentence has placed them safely behind bars.

“Ultimately, it is thanks to the bravery of the victim, as well as members of the public who answered our CCTV appeal and the dedication of the investigation team, that both offenders will now spend years of their life behind bars.

Read more:

• Burglar who raped and sexually assaulted Manchester student jailed for 20 years
• GMP vows to clean up Piccadilly Gardens after concerning rise in ‘anti-social behaviour’
• New study reveals Greater Manchester’s Christmas crime rate is one of the highest in the UK

“I hope this case gives other victim’s reassurance that GMP will seek to arrest and prosecute offenders, and I hope it encourages more victims to come forwards and report what happened to them to police.”

Featured Image – Geograph