A UK court on Tuesday convicted an Afghan man of raping a 12-year-old girl in a case that drew widespread attention after police initially withheld details about the suspect’s asylum status, triggering protests and political debate.
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Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was found guilty at Warwick Crown Court of two counts of raping a child under the age of 13. The offences occurred in July last year in Nuneaton, a town in central England. Mulakhil had previously pleaded guilty to an additional count of rape and was also convicted of abducting a child, two counts of sexual assault and making indecent images of a child.
Prosecutors told the court that Mulakhil led the victim to a secluded cul-de-sac, where he raped and sexually assaulted her and recorded indecent images. The jury heard that the incident caused serious physical and psychological harm to the victim. Mulakhil will be sentenced at a later date.
#BEHINDtheHEADLINES
BREAKING News
11/02/26An Afghan illegal immigrant has been found guilty of child abduction, rape, sexual assault and taking an indecent video of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton 🇬🇧
Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, took the girl to a quiet cul-de-sac on 22 July last… pic.twitter.com/EEckCV9Xzb
— Gavin Maxwell – AdvanceUK.org.uk (@Coolfin6) February 11, 2026
A second man, Mohammad Kabir, 24, who was tried alongside Mulakhil, was acquitted of charges including attempting to take a child, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence, and intentional strangulation. These charges were linked to an earlier encounter with the victim on the same day.
The case became politically sensitive after it emerged that Mulakhil was an asylum seeker, a fact not disclosed by police during the initial stages of the investigation. This led to protests in the local area and renewed debate over asylum policies and community safety.
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Anti-immigration groups cited the case to argue that asylum seekers housed in local communities pose security risks. In contrast, migrant rights organisations and community groups warned against using individual crimes to stigmatise refugees, saying such incidents were being exploited to fuel hostility and division.
Authorities emphasised that the conviction showed the justice system’s commitment to prosecuting serious crimes regardless of a suspect’s background or immigration status.