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 the assault in July last year, which sparked large-scale anti-asylum protests in the town.
Mulakhil was found guilty of rape, child abduction, taking an indecent video and two counts of sexual assault. He admitted a second count of rape before his trial began. Sentencing at Warwick Crown Court, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said the victim had suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm.
The judge noted that Mulakhil targeted the girl after meeting her earlier in the evening, and that he knew she was under 16 despite her claiming to be 19. After the attack, the victim was left alone in a park in darkness, distressed and hypervigilant.
Mulakhil arrived in the UK on a small boat four months before the offences, having fled Afghanistan due to Taliban threats. His defence said he had spent 12 years in school and planned to study economics. Mulakhil claimed he believed the girl was 19 and that she initiated the encounter.
He was also ordered to serve an additional 12 months on licence. A co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, also an Afghan asylum seeker, was acquitted of all charges.
