Two men have appeared in court, charged in connection with the rape of a 12-year-old girl in Nuneaton.
Ahmad Mulakhil is accused of rape, while Mohammad Kabir is accused of kidnap, strangulation and aiding and abetting the rape of a girl aged under 13.
Warwickshire County Council leader George Finch has alleged the two men were asylum seekers, which the BBC has been unable to verify independently, and accused Warwickshire Police and the Home Office of covering up their immigration status.
Police refused to disclose further details, saying: “Once someone is charged with an offence, we follow national guidance. This guidance does not include sharing ethnicity or immigration status.”
In a statement to the BBC the Home Office said: “Foreign nationals who commit crimes should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and justice delivered.”
Mr Kabir and Mr Mulakhil, both 23 and from the Warwickshire town, have appeared before magistrates in Coventry and will both appear at Warwick Crown Court on 26 August.
Mr Mulakhil is also facing an additional charge of rape relating to a different case.
Anyone who was in the Cheverel Street area of Nuneaton between 20:30 and 21:45 BST on 22 July and saw anything of interest is urged to come forward by Warwickshire Police.
Finch, who at 19 became the youngest council leader in the UK and represents Reform UK, published a letter on his social media accounts on Sunday, addressed to the Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, the Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police, Alex Franklin-Smith, and the chief executive of the council, Monica Fogarty.
He said Ms Fogarty had told him that Mr Kabir was an asylum seeker living in a house of multiple occupancy.
Residents had “very easily been able to join the dots together” and conclude that the men were asylum seekers, he said.
“Residents of Warwickshire can see they have not been told the full story,” he said.
“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 the police have clearly not learned any lessons from the handling of similar incidents last year.”
He added: “I strongly believe that the only risk to public order from this case in Warwickshire comes from the cover-up itself.”
In a statement, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe said: “It is essential to state that policing decisions—such as whether to release details about a suspect—must follow national guidance and legal requirements.”
He added that he would not speculate on the personal circumstances of those involved while court proceedings were active.
The BBC has contacted Warwickshire County Council for comment.
