Revealed: Teen rapist, 17, who brutally attacked and murdered schoolgirl, 14, after luring her online is named for first time as judge overturns ban following life sentence

  • Ayman Aziz, 17, raped brutalised and and murdered Viktorija Sokolova, 14
  • He contacted her online, lured her to a Wolverhampton park, and he subjected her to horrific violence in a two-hour sex attack before dumping her body
  • He was handed a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 19 years behind bars at Wolverhampton Crown Court in February

The identity of a teenager who brutally raped and murdered a 14-year-old schoolgirl can be revealed for the first time after a court ruling.

Ayman Aziz, 17, contacted Viktorija Sokolova online and lured her to a Wolverhampton park, where he subjected her to horrific levels of violence in a two-hour attack before dumping her body on a bench.

He was handed a life sentence and ordered to serve at least 19 years behind bars at Wolverhampton Crown Court in February after being found guilty of her murder.

Aziz could not be identified in reports at the time as reporting restrictions because of his age were imposed.

Although the trial judge agreed to lift those restrictions following an application by news organisations, the teenager’s lawyers challenged that decision and the restrictions remained in place pending an appeal.

Lithuanian-born Viktorija was brutally beaten, raped, and dumped on a park bench in Wolverhamptonn Lithuanian-born Viktorija was brutally beaten, raped, and dumped on a park bench in Wolverhampton during a frenzied attack last April

Adam Kane QC argued the reporting restrictions should not be lifted because they would have an adverse effect on Aziz’s rehabilitation.

He also said the teenager, who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia, has been ‘bullied and threatened’ in detention and has stopped attending educational classes as a result.

But the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and two other senior judges rejected Aziz’s challenge at the Court of Appeal on Thursday, meaning he can now be named.

The judges also rejected an appeal by Aziz, who watched the hearing over a video link from the young offenders’ institution where he is detained, against his minimum term.

The teenager denied any wrongdoing during a three-week trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court but was found guilty by a jury on December 14 last year over the attack on Viktorija.

Viktorija’s last moments as she walked towards the park were captured on CCTV  (pictured)

The 17-year-old was sentenced to life in prison for the brutal hammer-attack murder and rape of 14-year-old Viktorija Sokolova (pictured)

‘Why are there such terrible people in this world?’ Viktorija’s heart-broken mother’s moving statement

Pictured: Karolina Valatiniene leaves court

A moving statement from Viktorija’s mother Karolina Valantiniene has been read to the court.

It said: ‘There will never be a Mother’s Day for me again and I have no idea how I will carry on my life now.

‘The time has stopped for me now.

‘Viktorija was the purpose of my life.

‘I wanted to die together with her.

‘I never thought something terrible like this could happen to me.

‘My husband has been a great support for me.

‘I was not able to return to work for long time.

‘ I started taking medication and have been taking it since.

‘Why are there such terrible people in this world?’