Warwickshire Police have hit back at claims made by a Reform UK council leader after he made accusations that police had held back information about the alleged rape of a 12-year-old girl.
George Finch, 19, risked being found in contempt of court on Monday after making a statement during a press conference in London about the incident.
The youngest council leader in the country claimed there has been a “cover-up” of details about the case after police charged two men, Ahmad Mulakhil and Mohammad Kabir, in connection with the offence.
The Warwickshire County Council leader told the press conference that he was “begging” for information about the two to be released in the wake of the charges, and that he urged the police to release information about the men’s immigration status.
The Chief Constable of Warwickshire Police responded to Mr Finch’s claims on Tuesday, sharing the letter addressed to the councillor publicly.
The letter states the force “did not and will not cover up such criminality” and explained it did not release immigration status at point of charge in line wit national guidance.
Chief Constable Alex Franklin-Smith noted the suspect’s immigration status is now public knowledge, “having been placed into the public domain by yourself.”
The letter read: “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.”
It added: “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.”
Referring to the first time Mr Finch and Mr Franklin-Smith spoke on Thursday July 31, the letter said: “I explained the [immigration status] 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.”
Mr Franklin-Smith finished: “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.”
Mr Finch risked being found in contempt of court after making a statement at a press conference in London, where he acknowledged the risks attached to talking about a live legal case, saying: “I was told if I released this, I’d be in contempt of court.”
Contempt of court refers to behaviour that interferes with the administration of justice or undermines the authority of the court.
It came as Nigel Farage suggested police forces should release information, including immigration status, about people who are charged with crimes.
The Reform UK leader said that he “absolutely” believes that information should be made available by police forces.
