Council leader accuses police of covering up rape of girl, 12, by asylum seekers

Telegraph

4 days ago

A council leader has accused police of 'covering up' an alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl by Afghan asylum seekers.
Ahmad Mulakhil, 23, was charged last week with the rape of the girl in Nuneaton, while Mohammad Kabir, 23, was charged with kidnap and strangulation.
Warwickshire Police reportedly advised local councillors and officials not to reveal the asylum-seeker background of the two suspects, for fear of 'inflaming community tensions'.
Reform UK's George Finch, the leader of the county council, said in a letter to the force's chief constable: 'The continued cover-up of the true nature of Ahmad Mulakhil's immigration status risks public disorder breaking out on the streets of Warwickshire.
'The same detail has been covered up today concerning Mohammed Kabir. I am disgusted that one year on from the social unrest that we saw in parts of the UK in 2024, the Home Office and police have clearly not learnt any lessons from the handling of similar incidents last year.
'I strongly believe that the only risk to public order from this case in Warwickshire comes from the cover-up itself.'
Warwickshire Police has not denied reports that Mr Mulakhil and Mr Kabir are both asylum seekers.
The pair have appeared at Coventry magistrates' court and were both remanded in custody until an appearance at Warwick Crown Court on Aug 26.
It comes after protests outside a migrant hotel in Epping, Essex, after it emerged an asylum seeker staying there had been charged with sexual assault, harassment and inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.
One man, from Warwickshire, told the Mail on Sunday: 'They're hushing it up because they don't want an Epping situation on their hands.'
In a statement, the force said that once someone is charged with an offence, they follow national guidance, which 'does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status'.
Farage: Police acting against British people
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, which runs Warwickshire county council, said: 'I am afraid police and elected officials are acting against the British people.'
In his letter, which was also sent to Yvette Cooper, the Home Secretary, Mr Finch claimed the council's chief executive told him Mr Kabir was an asylum seeker.
He said: 'Residents can see they have not been told the full story. If these accusations turn out to be true, it indicates that organised crime centring around the abuse of young girls is present in Warwickshire. This is unacceptable.'
He also called for all asylum seekers living in houses of multiple occupation (HMO) in Warwickshire to be rehoused.
Mr Finch said: 'Our community has had enough of the Home Office breaking planning regulations to turn sections of local communities into unrecognisable, ghetto-like areas.
'Having my ear to the ground locally, it is clear that there is much appetite for protests to take place across the county.
'Let me be clear, I do not want to see protests taking place outside migrant hotels and HMOs in Warwickshire. Nor do I want to see any form of violent disorder.'
The victim is now said to be receiving specialist care after the attack.
Mr Mulakhil, who reportedly crossed the Channel on a small boat, is said to have raped the victim in the Cheverel Street area of Nuneaton, between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on July 22.
The Mail on Sunday published CCTV footage from a resident's house near the street, which appears to show a man walking with the girl. The pair walked past the property at 8pm, about half an hour before the alleged assault.
Accused pair lived on adjoining streets
Warwickshire Police said Mr Mulakhil was arrested four days after the incident, and charged the following day.
He appeared before Coventry magistrates' court on Monday charged with two counts of vaginal and oral rape of the victim.
Kabir was arrested on Thursday, and charged with aiding and abetting rape of the 12-year-old, as well as strangulation and kidnap. He appeared before Coventry magistrates' court on Saturday.
Warwickshire Police said in a statement: 'At this stage, we do not believe there to be anyone else involved but we continue to appeal for witnesses who were in the Cheverel Street area between 8.30pm and 9.45pm on Tuesday 22 July and who saw anything of interest to please come forward.'
The Mail on Sunday said Mr Mulakhil and Mr Kabir lived in two tax-payer-funded rented houses about 70 yards from each other on adjoining streets.
Both properties are managed by Serco, which has accommodated about five asylum seekers in each house. Serco has a £1.9bn contract with the Home Office to house asylum seekers across the country.
When the paper contacted the owner of the property in which Mr Mulakhil lived, she said she was 'sickened to the stomach' when hearing about the incident.
She said: 'I don't know anything because Serco manage the house completely.'
Serco said in a statement: 'We do not confirm individual addresses, nor the names of people in properties we manage.'