A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for the kidnap and rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.
Ahmad Mullahil was convicted of rape and two counts of sexual assault following a trial last month, according to Sky News. He had already pleaded guilty to a further charge of rape. A jury also found him guilty of kidnapping a minor and recording an indecent video of the girl.
CCTV footage captured the moment Mullahil approached the child and asked for her age. The court heard that the man had applied for asylum four months before committing the offences.
During the trial, Mullahil claimed he believed the victim was 19 and alleged that she had initiated the sexual contact in July. The prosecutor described his attempt to shift blame onto the child as “chilling” and “particularly repulsive.”
The girl, whose identity is protected by law, testified that the man approached her in a Nuneaton park while she was playing on the swings. She told the court she asked him to stop, but he laughed during the attack.
Sentencing him, the judge said the victim continues to suffer from trauma and medical issues linked to the assault. “Your victim was particularly vulnerable due to her personal circumstances and has suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm,” the judge stated, adding that Mullahil had “targeted” the girl.
The judge dismissed the claim that the girl said she was 19 as “manifestly false,” noting that CCTV evidence showed Mullahil’s reaction was one of disbelief. “The jury’s verdict leaves no doubt that you knew she was under 16,” the judge added.
The court heard that after the attack, the girl was left alone in the park in the dark. “She was upset and on constant alert, looking behind her and towards the wooded area to see if you were still there,” the judge said.
The victim reported the assault immediately and underwent medical examinations and police interviews. Because Mullahil contested the allegations, the child was also required to undergo cross-examination in court.