A 23-year-old Afghan national, Ahmad Mulakhil, has been convicted of abducting and raping a 12-year-old girl in a deliberate assault in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The victim reported that Mulakhil laughed during the attack. He pleaded guilty to one rape charge and was found guilty of rape, two counts of sexual assault, child abduction, and capturing an indecent video of the girl in a residential area.
Mulakhil’s co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, an Afghan asylum seeker, was acquitted of charges including intentional strangulation and attempted child abduction with sexual intent. Kabir, who claimed to be 22 but was identified as 24 in court documents, denied any physical contact with the victim or having any sexual motives towards her.
During the ten-day trial, it was revealed that Mulakhil had arrived in the UK four months before the crimes and had applied for immigration due to difficulties faced in Afghanistan. The jury deliberated for over seven hours across three days before delivering their verdict.
Judge Kristina Montgomery KC, while remanding Mulakhil in custody for sentencing at a later date, indicated that he would likely face a significant prison term leading to deportation upon completion. She commended the jury for remaining impartial and not being influenced by external factors throughout the trial.
