An Afghan national was on Friday jailed for 15 years for raping a 12-year-old girl in Britain, a case that sparked local protests and a political row when his status as an asylum seeker was not initially disclosed by police.
Ahmad Mulakhil, was convicted after a trial at Warwick Crown Court of one count of raping a child under 13 in Nuneaton, central England, last July.
He had previously pleaded guilty to a further count of rape of a child under 13 and was also found guilty of abducting a child, sexual assault and making indecent images of a child by filming the victim.
The 23-year-old told the court he believed his victim to be 19 years old, and said she initiated a sexual encounter on 22 July last year.
But prosecutor Daniel Oscroft said Mulakhil’s attempts to blame his victim were “stomach-churning” and “pretty revolting”.
The victim, who cannot be named, said she was approached in a Nuneaton park by Mulakhil after playing on the swings. She said she had told her attacker to stop and that he was laughing while attacking her.
Sentencing Mulakhil, Judge Kristina Montgomery KC said the victim continues to suffer trauma responses and medical issues associated with the attack.
“Your victim was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances and she has suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm,” the judge said, adding that Mulakhil had “targeted” the girl.
She also said that the girl saying she was 19 was an “obvious” lie, with CCTV showing that “your reaction was incredulous and the jury’s verdict leaves no doubt that you knew she was aged under 16”.
“(After the attack), you left the area together but when you parted company, she was left alone in a park in the darkness for some time,” the judge said.
“She was distressed, she was hypervigilant. Looking over her shoulder and into the woodland to see whether you were still in the area.
“She gave an immediate account of your sexual assault upon her. She was thereafter subjected to a medical examination and questioning by the police and latterly as you contested her allegations, cross examination in the court.”
