An Afghan asylum seeker, Ahmad Mulakhil (23), has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the abduction, rape, and sexual assault of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, news agency Reuters reported. The verdict was delivered at Warwick Crown Court following a trial that found him guilty of multiple serious offences, including child rape, abduction, sexual assault, and recording an indecent video of the victim.Mulakhil had also pleaded guilty prior to trial to an additional charge of raping a child under 13. A co-accused in the case, Mohammad Kabir, was acquitted of all charges.

Who is Ahmad Mulakhil?

Mulakhil is an Afghan national who arrived in the United Kingdom on a small boat just four months before committing the offences. He was living as an asylum seeker at the time of the crime.Sentencing the accused, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC highlighted the profound and lasting impact of the crime on the young victim. She noted that the girl continues to suffer from severe psychological trauma and medical complications.The court heard that the victim was left alone in a park after the assault, distressed and fearful, repeatedly looking over her shoulder in panic that her attacker might return.

Targeted attack and evidence

The judge said that Mulakhil had deliberately targeted the victim after encountering her earlier on the day of the crime in July last year. Security footage presented in court showed him questioning the girl about her age.Although the victim claimed she was 19, the judge said it was “an obvious lie” and made it clear that the jury found no doubt that Mulakhil was aware she was underage.

Arrival in UK

Mulakhil had arrived in the United Kingdom via a small boat just four months before committing the offences. Along with his 15-year prison term, he was handed an additional 12 months on licence and now faces automatic deportation upon completion of his sentence.He reportedly showed no visible emotion during the hearing, listening through an interpreter as the sentence was pronounced.The case sparked protests in Nuneaton and triggered a debate around asylum seekers in the UK.