A migrant who arrived in the United Kingdom by small boat has been convicted of abducting and sexually assaulting a child only months after his arrival, Breitbart reports. Twenty-three-year-old Ahmad Mulakhil from Afghanistan was found guilty at Warwickshire Crown Court of raping a child, abduction, two counts of sexual assault, and creating an “indecent video.” After more than seven hours of deliberation, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts, though he was acquitted on a second rape charge.
Mulakhil was tried alongside another Afghan man who faced separate accusations of strangulation and attempted child abduction. That defendant was cleared of all charges.
According to evidence presented in court, Mulakhil met a 12-year-old girl at a park in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, on 22 July 2025. He then lured her to a quiet residential area nearby, where he assaulted her. During the attack, the court heard, he threatened the girl’s family. Members of the public later discovered the victim and contacted the police.
Throughout the trial, Mulakhil maintained that he had not intended to have sex with the child, claimed she misled him about her age, and argued that she consented and asked him to record the incident. Prosecutors said he showed no remorse and failed to accept responsibility for his actions.
Mulakhil had arrived in the UK roughly four months before the offence after crossing the English Channel by boat. Police were able to identify him quickly because he used his government-issued debit card to make a purchase shortly after the attack. Investigators also matched his DNA to samples collected from the girl and her clothing.
As reported by the BBC, Mulakhil became emotional when the guilty verdict was announced. He was taken into custody and will be sentenced at a later date. Warwickshire Police praised the young victim for her bravery in cooperating with authorities.
The case has drawn significant public attention amid ongoing debates over the placement of recently arrived migrants in communities across the UK. Residents in Nuneaton staged demonstrations in response to both the crime and allegations of limited transparency from local police about the suspect’s background. Reform Party councillor George Finch criticized what he described as attempts to withhold information about the incident, arguing that citizens have the right to know who is being housed in their neighborhoods. Finch continues to call for greater openness and oversight of migrant housing arrangements to ensure community safety.