Afghan Asylum Seeker Receives 15-Year Sentence for Horrific Attack on Midlands Schoolgirl
Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, has been jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl in the Midlands. The brutal attack, which occurred last summer, sparked large-scale protests in Nuneaton and left the victim with severe ongoing trauma.
Graphic Details of the Assault Emerge in Court
Warwick Crown Court heard that Mulakhil targeted the vulnerable schoolgirl, filming himself during the rape. Judge Kristina Montgomery KC described how the victim, who cannot be identified, continues to suffer psychological harm and medical issues related to the assault. The judge emphasized that Mulakhil knew the girl was underage despite her claim of being 19, with CCTV footage capturing their interaction.
"Your victim was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances," Judge Montgomery told Mulakhil. "She has suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm." The court was told that after the attack, the girl was left alone in a dark park, distressed and hypervigilant, before immediately reporting the sexual assault to authorities.
Defendant Showed No Emotion During Sentencing
Mulakhil, who had been in the UK for just four months after arriving on a small boat, showed no emotion during the hearing. He stared ahead intently while listening to an interpreter, having admitted to one count of rape before trial and being found guilty of additional charges including child abduction, taking an indecent video, and two counts of sexual assault.
Defense barrister Marcus Harry explained that Mulakhil fled Afghanistan at age 22 after coming under Taliban focus, having completed 12 years of schooling and planning to study economics at university. He claimed asylum upon arrival in the UK and was awaiting determination of his claim when the offences occurred in July.
Co-Defendant Cleared of Related Charges
The trial also involved Mohammad Kabir, another Afghan asylum seeker who was cleared of charges including intentional strangulation, attempted child abduction, and committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence. The victim testified that both defendants approached her in a park after she had been playing on swings.
Mulakhil will serve 15 years in prison followed by an additional 12 months on licence. The case has highlighted serious concerns about child protection and the handling of asylum seekers with criminal intentions, particularly in the Midlands region where community tensions have been heightened by the incident.
