2 February 2026
An Afghan man has been charged with kidnap, rape and sexual assault following a spate of attacks in a leafy market town.
Najeebullah Arab, aged 39, is accused of kidnapping and raping a woman near Mably Way in Wantage, Oxfordshire, on Tuesday.
He has also been charged with the sexual assault of a woman on Cane Lane in nearby Grove on January 21.
Arab is an Afghan national, who currently lives in Grove. He has been remanded in police custody and will appear at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
Police previously said the victim of the Mably Way attack, a woman in her late teens, was walking alone at around 11.15pm when she was approached by a stranger.
The man led her to an area behind Mably Way where he allegedly raped her, before fleeing the scene on a black bike.
Meanwhile, the Cane Lane assault allegedly occurred at around 9.30pm when a woman in her late 20s was approached by a lone man.
The suspect followed her and sexually assaulted her after a brief interaction.
Thames Valley Police are continuing to probe another sexual assault of a woman on Oxford Lane in the town on January 24.
Arab was arrested on suspicion of this offence and he remains under investigation but has not been charged.
Detective Chief Inspector Stuart May previously said: ‘I would like to thank the public for their overwhelming support and the information they have already provided to us since we made a public appeal on Thursday.
‘It is positive that we have now made an arrest, but I would continue to urge the public to come forward with any information that may support our investigation, as it really does help.
‘Our investigation continues at a pace, with additional officers deployed across the area to complete inquiries and provide visible reassurance patrols so if you have any information, questions or concerns, then please speak to them.’
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 or report online, quoting reference number 43260044490.