LONDON: A UK court on Tuesday convicted an Afghan national of raping a 12-year-old girl in a case that drew public protests and political debate after police initially did not disclose his asylum seeker status.
Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was found guilty of two counts of raping a child under the age of 13 following a trial at Warwick Crown Court. The offences took place in Nuneaton, central England, in July last year.
The court heard that Mulakhil had earlier pleaded guilty to an additional count of rape. He was also convicted of abducting a child, two counts of sexual assault and making indecent images of a child.
Prosecutor Daniel Oscroft told jurors at the start of the trial that the accused led the victim to a “secluded cul-de-sac” where he raped and sexually assaulted her and took indecent images.
Mulakhil is due to be sentenced at a later date.
His co-defendant, Mohammad Kabir, 24, was acquitted of charges including attempting to take a child, committing an offence with intent to commit a sexual offence and intentional strangulation, which related to an earlier encounter with the victim on the same day.
The case has sparked demonstrations and political controversy in Britain, with some anti-immigration activists citing criminal cases involving asylum seekers to argue they pose risks to local communities.
Pro-migrant advocacy groups, however, have accused far-right groups and certain politicians of exploiting such incidents to inflame tensions.
Authorities have not announced a sentencing date.