Men jailed for 'honour attack' on boy in Blackburn
The 16 year old had been in a relationship with a relative of the men.
Four members of the same family have been sentenced to a total of nine years nine months in prison for attacking a boy who'd had a relationship with one of their relatives.
The four men, Mirza Baig, 48, Ghazanfar Mirza, 38, Saqib Mirza Baig, 29, and Khizum Baig, 29, kidnapped and assaulted the 16 year old in March last year.
The driver, Ghazanfar Mirza, told the teenager to get in his car, then locked him and drove off.
He was later dragged out of the car and punched, kicked and attacked with a weapon.
The 16-year-old was then told to get back in the car and driven to Granville Road before being let go.
The so-called ‘honour attack’ was understood to be racially motivated, with the boy from a different community, and they didn't like the fact he'd been seeing a girl in their wider family.
Annabelle Hartley for the CPS said:
“This was a pre-planned and unprovoked attack on a 16 year old boy as he walked in the street.
"I am in no doubt that this violence was motivated by so called honour and racism. Although the victim and his girlfriend had been together for some time, they had endeavoured to keep their relationship secret, particularly from their families. However, when her family found out, they took severe steps to warn off the victim.
“All four defendants eventually took responsibility for their actions by entering guilty pleas on the day of the trial.
"The CPS and Lancashire police are dedicated to tackling honour based crime. We will not tolerate those who take the law into their own hands, for whatever reason, and will bring before the courts those who choose to do so.
Det Sgt Rachel Higson, of Lancashire Police, said: “This was a truly shocking offence involving the kidnap and violent assault of a teenage boy in Blackburn.
“The men had targeted the victim because of the relationship he had with a local girl. The attack was premeditated and involved the use of a weapon, with the boy requiring hospital treatment for significant head injuries.
“We must praise the victim, who despite the clearly threatening and violent behaviour of the group reported the incident to police.
“The four offenders are dangerous individuals and we welcome today’s sentence. There is no honour in attacking a defenceless child, only shame. There is no room for such barbaric behaviour in today's society.