❓WHAT HAPPENED: An Afghan asylum seeker was found guilty of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl in a targeted attack in Nuneaton, England.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Afghan national Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was convicted of multiple offences. His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, was acquitted of all charges.
📍WHEN & WHERE: The attack occurred last summer in Nuneaton. The trial took place at Warwick Crown Court.
💬KEY QUOTE: “He will plainly receive a substantial custodial sentence which will automatically make him liable for deportation at its conclusion.” – Judge Kristina Montgomery KC
🎯IMPACT: The case sparked protests and calls for more transparency from public figures regarding the immigration status of offenders.
Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, has been convicted of multiple serious offences following a targeted attack on a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, England, last summer. A jury at Warwick Crown Court found him guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault, child abduction, and taking an indecent video of the child. He had also admitted to an additional rape charge before the trial began.
Mulakhil arrived in Britain around four months before the attack after submitting an immigration application that referred to unspecified “problems” in Afghanistan. Although the jury was not told how he entered the country, it later emerged that he had arrived illegally on a small boat.
His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, also an Afghan asylum seeker, was cleared of all charges, including intentional strangulation, attempted child abduction, and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence. Kabir denied any wrongdoing, telling the court that he “never touched the victim and had no sexual intentions toward her.” He claimed to be 22, while court records listed his age as 24.
Remanding Mulakhil in custody ahead of sentencing, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said, “He will plainly receive a substantial custodial sentence which will automatically make him liable for deportation at its conclusion.” This does not mean he definitely will be deported, however, with many foreign sex offenders in Britain able to use human rights laws to stay in the country.
The convictions drew sharp reactions from senior political figures. Reform Paarty leader Nigel Farage and Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch accused authorities of a “cover-up” over how details of the case were handled publicly. Farage renewed calls for police to routinely disclose the immigration status of criminal suspects, something that is not standard practice despite being permitted under current guidance “if deemed necessary for legitimate policing purposes.”
The case has added to wider debate following other recent reports involving Afghan nationals in the United Kingdom and the United States, including prosecutions for serious sexual offences, fatal stabbings, and alleged terror threats.
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.