UK Court Sentences Afghan Asylum Seeker to 15 Years in Rape Case

An Afghan asylum seeker who arrived in Britain four months earlier has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl, according to proceedings at Warwick Crown Court.

The court heard that Ahmad Malakhil took the girl from a park to a secluded alley, where he assaulted her. He was also given an additional 12-month sentence for related offences.

Police said the victim managed to escape after Malakhil went to a nearby shop and used a Home Office-issued support payment card to buy a drink shortly after the attack.

Detective Chief Inspector Colette O’Keefe said the victim’s account had been central to the investigation and praised her courage in helping secure the conviction.

During the trial, Malakhil claimed the encounter had been consensual and said he believed the girl was 19, but the court rejected that account and sentenced him accordingly.

Sexual offences involving children are prosecuted under some of the most serious criminal provisions in Britain, with lengthy prison terms often imposed upon conviction.

The case comes amid continued scrutiny of crimes involving asylum seekers and migrants in Britain, although officials say criminal cases are handled individually under the same legal standards applied to all defendants.

The sentencing closes one of the more serious recent child sexual abuse cases before the court, with investigators emphasizing the role of victim testimony in securing justice.

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