An Afghan asylum seeker who abducted and raped a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, filmed himself during the assault in July last year.
Mulakhil was found guilty of rape, child abduction, taking an indecent video, and two counts of sexual assault. He admitted a second rape charge before his trial. The attacks sparked large-scale anti-asylum protests in Nuneaton, where demonstrators marched with St George's cross and union flags, chanting far-right slogans.
Sentencing at Warwick Crown Court, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said the victim continued to suffer trauma and medical issues. She noted that Mulakhil targeted the girl after meeting her earlier in the evening, and that the victim was left distressed and hypervigilant after the attack.
Mulakhil, who arrived in the UK on a small boat four months before the offences, claimed he believed the girl was 19 and that she initiated the encounter. His defence said he fled Afghanistan due to Taliban threats. He will serve 15 years in prison plus an additional 12 months on licence.
