A man who raped a 12-year-old girl last year has been jailed for 15 years.
The rape, which took place near Nuneaton town centre on 22 July, caused shock and concern in the communities of Nuneaton, with the force acting swiftly to gather evidence, bringing the man responsible into custody within two days.
Despite being just 12, the girl has shown exceptional bravery, helping us gather the vital evidence needed to secure this conviction.
During the trial the court heard how Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, an Afghan national whose asylum claims were being processed in the UK — first came across the girl in a local park.
Later that day, he took her to a patch of grass and raped her, recording part of the attack.
Mulakhil then took her to a shop before she spotted a chance to run away and report what had happened.
This sparked an urgent and major investigation, with detectives swiftly identifying Mulakhil and getting him into custody.
Last month a jury found him guilty of one count of rape of a female child under 13, abducting a child, two counts of sexual assault and one count of taking indecent photos of a child. They also found him not guilty of one of the counts of rape of a child under 13.
Mulakhil had previously pleaded guilty to one count of rape of a child under 13 at an earlier court hearing.
And today (Friday), at Warwick Crown Court, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison and a further 12 months on licence.
He was also given an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) and an indefinite restraining order preventing him from contacting the victim
Detective Chief Inspector Collette O’Keefe, who led the investigation, said: “When Mulakhil carried out this horrific attack on a young girl, not only did he commit the most serious of crimes he breached the fundamental values that hold our communities together.
“I want to pay tribute to the extraordinary courage of the victim. Her account allowed us to gather the evidence we needed to ensure Mulakhil was brought to justice.
“No sentence can undo the trauma of what she endured. But we hope today marks the beginning of her journey toward the bright, safe, and happy future she deserves.”
