A UK court sentenced Afghan asylum seeker Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, to 15 years in prison on Friday for raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton. The man, who arrived illegally in the UK months earlier, was also convicted of kidnapping and other charges. The case sparked anti-immigration protests.
Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan who fled the Taliban according to his lawyer, arrived in the UK by small boat around March 2025. Four months later, in July, he kidnapped and raped a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, central England, while filming the act.
Warwick Crown Court found him guilty on Friday of rape of a child under 13, child kidnapping, sexual assault, and recording an obscene video. He had already pleaded guilty to the rape. Judge Kristina Montgomery stated Mulakhil knew the victim was under 16 despite her claiming to be 19, imposing a 15-year sentence that automatically triggers deportation. She noted the girl's ongoing post-traumatic issues.
Lawyer Marcus Harry said his client, educated for 12 years in Afghanistan and aiming to study economics, fled after drawing Taliban attention.
The case sparked controversy: police delayed disclosing his asylum seeker status, fueling anti-immigration protests. Militants cite it as emblematic of risks from some asylum seekers, often young men in hotels. Migrant defense groups accuse far-right and opportunistic politicians of exploiting such incidents to inflame tensions.
