Asylum Seeker Convicted in High-Profile UK Rape Case

In a case that has heightened tensions and sparked local protests, an Afghan asylum seeker, Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, has been found guilty by an English court of raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.

The Warwick Crown Court trial concluded with Mulakhil being convicted of multiple charges, including two counts of raping a child under 13, abduction, sexual assault, and producing indecent images of a child last July. The case gained notoriety after initial failures to disclose Mulakhil's asylum status prompted public outcry.

Mohammad Kabir, 24, co-defendant, was acquitted of related charges, while critics argue that some exploit such cases to bolster anti-immigration sentiments. Sentencing for Mulakhil is pending.