Mohammed Wahid Mohammed

An asylum seeker from Syria, Mohammed Wahid Mohammed, aged 22 and residing in Walsall, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl in Birmingham. The incident occurred on 24 September 2024 at Villa Supermarket in Handsworth, where Mohammed was working illegally.

The victim, who had left her home earlier that day, found herself in Birmingham city centre around 8:30pm. Despite having only a couple of pounds, she had been helping a homeless woman by buying her a cup of tea. The homeless woman then accompanied the girl down Villa Road to Villa Supermarket. As soon as Mohammed saw the girl, he remarked that she looked young and cold, inviting her into the shop for warmth and offering her something to eat and drink. He was aware she was far from home and told her it was 'not safe on the streets', coaxing her inside under the pretence of concern, though his true intentions were sexual.

Inside the supermarket, Mohammed promised the girl food and instructed her to take a vape, crisps, and fizzy drink from the shelves. He then claimed he was fetching a 'new drink' from a storeroom at the back, but instead led her to an upstairs bedroom where he had been sleeping. There, he attacked her, committing two counts of sexual assault on a girl under the age of 13 and three counts of rape. Mohammed admitted to the sexual assaults but was found guilty of the rapes by a jury at Birmingham Crown Court.

Prosecutor Andrew Wallace described the events in court, highlighting how Mohammed exploited the girl's vulnerability. 'He knew she was far away from home, there was discussion about that. Ironically, he told her it wasn't safe on the streets. He coaxed her into the shop under the pretence of being concerned. Really he only had sex in mind,' Wallace stated. Judge Roderick Henderson sentenced Mohammed to 12 years' imprisonment, ruling him a 'dangerous' offender and imposing an extended five-year licence period. The judge noted that deportation would be determined by authorities at a later stage.

The Home Office has indicated potential deportation for Mohammed under forthcoming changes to the law, which will prevent individuals convicted of registered sex offences from being granted asylum and prioritise their removal from the UK. A Home Office spokesman commented: 'Individuals convicted of a registered sex offence are prevented from being granted asylum... We are also changing the law so that individuals convicted of a registered sex offence are prevented from being granted asylum, and will do everything in our power to pursue deportation from the UK so that these vile criminals are off our streets and paying the price for their crimes.' This case also underscores enforcement against illegal working, with the Home Office reporting doubled action nationwide, including increased visits and arrests at small businesses like supermarkets.