A Green Party councillor has sparked widespread outrage after appearing to express sympathy for an Afghan asylum seeker who was convicted of raping a 12-year-old girl in her own council borough.
Michele Kondakor, who represents the Weddington ward on Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, made the remarks in a video that was widely shared on social media on 6 May 2026. In the clip, the councillor referred to the rape as “the rape and what have you,” before stating: “Lives are ruined all around, you know — the asylum seekers, these very young people, their lives are ruined.”
The case she was referring to involved Ahmad Mulakhil, an Afghan national who arrived in Britain by small boat and was 23 years old at the time of the attack. In July 2025, Mulakhil abducted a 12-year-old girl in a park in Nuneaton, raped her and filmed the assault himself. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape of a child under 13 and was subsequently convicted by a jury on further counts including abduction, sexual assault and taking an indecent image. In March 2026, he was sentenced to 15 years in prison plus 12 months on extended licence. Courts heard that the victim suffered significant and ongoing psychological harm as a result of the attack.
The assault triggered large-scale protests in Nuneaton over asylum seeker crime and policing transparency in the months that followed.
Kondakor’s characterisation of the 23-year-old convicted rapist as one of “these very young people” whose life had been ruined drew immediate and sharp criticism, with many arguing the remarks showed a profound misplacement of sympathy. The phrase “the rape and what have you” was also widely condemned as dismissive of an attack described in court as deeply serious in its nature and its lasting impact on the child victim.
The clip was amplified by Reform UK figures in the days before local elections, intensifying the political fallout. The Green Party had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
