Pair jailed following woman's 'horrific' city centre rape ordeal

Two men have been jailed for the rape of a woman in an alleyway near Piccadilly Gardens in Manchester city centre.

Following the incident which took place on May 16, 2021, Juan Quinones (aged 24) of Aspell Close in Middleton has been jailed for 12 years.

Brian Jalo (aged 25) of Sugar Mill Square in Salford was also jailed for 12 years.

The attack occurred after the victim (then aged 18) and her friend met Quinones and Jalo the previous day.

The pair had approached the women, spoke to them for a 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.

After the two women returned to the hotel, the victim then left the hotel again on her own.

Quinones and Jalo spotted the woman leaving the hotel, attacked her and raped her in an alleyway.

The victim managed to make her way back to the hotel following the attack in a distressed state.

Her mobile phone was missing and has never been recovered.

She contacted police and an investigation was immediately launched.

Following an appeal to the public for information, CCTV was provided to the police which led to the identification and arrest of Jalo and Quinones on May 19, 2021.

A third man was later acquitted of sexual assault and aiding and abetting the rape.

Detective Constable Stuart Kassim, of GMP Longsight CID, said: “I want to thank the victim for her bravery in reporting her attack and putting her trust in the police to investigate.

"This was an horrific ordeal which has been prolonged by her attackers refusing to admit their guilt and forcing her to re-live that night by giving evidence at trial.

“It 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.

"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.

“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.”

Support available

If you or someone you know has been a victim of rape or sexual assault, police encourage you not to suffer in silence and report it to the police by calling 101 or 999 in an emergency.

You can also report information and crimes on GMP's website (www.gmp.police.uk) using the 'report' tool.

Alternatively, you can report information anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

There are also lots of organisations and support agencies available across Greater Manchester that can help and provide support for you.

For more information on rape and serious sexual assault and the support services available to you, please visit GMP's support pages.

Support for rape and sexual assault

St Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre - in Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester.

They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages.

Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis - is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives.

Call on 0161 273 4500 or email: help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk

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