Warwickshire Police responds to ‘cover up’ accusations over Nuneaton rape
The chief constable of Warwickshire Police has said the force “did not and will not cover up” information relating to the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.
Alex Franklin-Smith was responding to the leader of Warwickshire County Council, Councillor George Finch, who shared a letter on social media alleging the suspects were asylum seekers and accusing the force and Home Office of covering it up.
Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir have been charged in connection with the incident on July 22. Both are due to appear at Warwick Crown Court on August 26.
In an open letter to Cllr Finch, Mr Franklin-Smith said: “The immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir is now public knowledge, having been placed into the public domain by yourself.
“In light of that, I have asked the Home Office to confirm the full immigration status of Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir as per the information we shared with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the courts as part of this case.
“The reported rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton on Tuesday 22 July was a truly horrific crime. Our priority from day one has been to support the victim and to identify those responsible.
“I am incredibly grateful to the many Warwickshire Police officers who worked around the clock and whose efforts led to Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir being charged with offences within a matter of days.
“We are not looking for anyone else, but our ongoing support to the victim by specialist officers will of course continue.
“My responsibility is what Warwickshire Police say and do and we will continue to work with our partners across the county on behalf of the Warwickshire public. I am confident that Warwickshire Police has treated this investigation seriously from the outset working tirelessly to identify, locate, arrest and charge those suspected of being responsible for this awful crime as quickly as possible.
“Warwickshire Police did not and will not cover up such criminality. As I confirmed to you when we spoke for the first time on Thursday 31 July, in events such as these it is good practice for police forces to work closely with partner agencies in order that we can collectively protect our communities.
“You informed me you had already received a confidential briefing from your chief executive and that you knew the person charged was an asylum seeker. I confirmed this was accurate and we wouldn’t be releasing immigration status at point of charge as we follow national guidance.
“I explained the information would become public knowledge as part of the court process and that all partners must ensure we are prepared to manage any potential protest and/or disorder at that stage.
“I explained we had a police Gold commander leading the overall response to this case and that the communications plan agreed by them followed consultation with the CPS. I also explained we had briefed the Home Office. To be clear, I cannot tell elected individuals what to do.
“The impact of this crime is felt across the whole community, of which we as the local police force are part.
“The importance of policing and their partners working together has arguably never been more important. I am aware that national guidance in this area is under review and we will share our experiences in Warwickshire to help inform this for the benefit of all communities across the UK.
“Finally, I am not responsible for matters of UK immigration policy and I will therefore leave the Home Office to respond to you on those specific matters.”