Afghan Rapist Enters Guilty Plea Amid Nationality Blackout
Nuneaton case forces police disclosure reckoning after weeks of silence
An Afghan national admits raping a 12-year-old girl, but initial police withholding of his origin sparked protests and cover-up claims. This exposes recurring transparency failures linking migration gaps to public safety breakdowns.
Ahmad Mulakhil, a 23-year-old Afghan national, pleaded guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton on 22 July. Warwickshire Police withheld his and co-defendant Mohammad Kabir’s nationalities for weeks, despite public demands. This delay ignited protests and accusations of a deliberate cover-up.
The case unfolded in Warwick Crown Court. Mulakhil changed his plea on one count of raping a child under 13. Kabir denies aiding the rape, strangulation, and child abduction; their trial starts 26 January.
Protests erupted outside Nuneaton Town Hall on 9 August. Hundreds waved St George’s Cross and Union flags, chanting “stop the boats” and “we want our country back.” Stand Up to Racism counter-protesters appeared vastly outnumbered.
Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch accused police and the Home Office of suppressing the men’s immigration status. Reform leader Nigel Farage echoed the call for disclosure. Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe pressed then-Home Secretary Yvette Cooper for clarity on public information rules.
Cooper directed police to release more suspect details. She confirmed a review of guidance was underway. Yet initial silence persisted, fueling distrust.
No fixed abode defines both men. Afghan nationals arrive via irregular routes, including small boats, amid 45,659 crossings last year. Foreign national offenders number over 11,000 in prisons, with deportation appeals blocking removals.
Transparency Breakdowns Repeat
Police withhold ethnicity and nationality in high-profile cases to avoid prejudice, campaigners claim. Data shows this pattern: German heroin dealer evades deportation citing language barriers; Sri Lanka bombing suspect lingers via asylum appeals. Outcomes prioritize offender rights over victim safety.
Public reaction exposes cohesion fractures. Polls track institutional trust at historic lows, with 60% doubting police candor on migration-crime links. Protests signal migration policy’s social toll, echoing riots from unchecked inflows.
Governments rotate, failures endure. Labour’s Cooper pledges disclosure tweaks; predecessors issued similar vows. Net migration hit 944,000 amid British outflows, yet border vetting lags.
Fiscal drains compound risks. Low-skill inflows generate lifetime costs, per OBR omissions. Taxpayers fund prisons, appeals, and policing strains without upstream controls.
This Nuneaton plea lays bare institutional paralysis. Police secrecy shields facts, eroding the consent that sustains order. Britain’s decline accelerates as citizens demand truths officials ration, leaving children exposed and streets inflamed.
Commentary based on Afghan national admits raping 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton at BBC News.