Warwick Crown Court in England sentenced Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, to 15 years in prison on Friday for raping and abducting a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The judge added one year on an extended licence, along with indefinite sexual harm prevention and restraining orders. The sentence qualifies him for automatic deportation from the UK upon release.

The attack occurred on July 22, 2025, in a park in Nuneaton, England, when Mulakhil approached the girl as she played on swings. Security footage captured him asking her age; she claimed to be 19, prompting an incredulous reaction from him. He abducted her to a secluded spot nearby, raped her, sexually assaulted her twice, and filmed the assault. The girl told the court that he laughed as she begged him to stop.

Mulakhil had pleaded guilty to one count of rape before trial. A jury convicted him last month of another rape count, two sexual assaults, child abduction, and making an indecent video after a 10-day trial. He was cleared of one rape charge. His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, another Afghan asylum seeker, was acquitted of related charges, including attempted abduction and strangulation.

Mulakhil arrived in the UK four months earlier via a small boat, claiming asylum after fleeing Taliban threats in Afghanistan. He had no prior convictions and planned to study economics before leaving his homeland.

Judge Kristina Montgomery KC described the victim as particularly vulnerable and noted her ongoing psychological harm, trauma responses, and medical issues. She highlighted that CCTV showed Mulakhil knew the girl was under 16 and had targeted her. After the assault, the girl was left alone in the dark park, hypervigilant and distressed.

Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft called Mulakhil's courtroom claim that the girl initiated the encounter stomach-churning and revolting victim-blaming. Detective Chief Inspector Collette O'Keefe praised the victim's courage, stating the attack breached community values, and hoped the sentence would aid her recovery.

The case drew protests in Nuneaton last summer, with crowds opposing immigration. Demonstrators gathered outside the court on Friday with banners reading "Stop the invasion, end immigration." Police initially withheld the men's nationalities per guidance, prompting cover-up claims from figures like Reform UK leader Nigel Farage; updated rules now allow disclosure in high-profile cases.