Asylum seeker convicted of rape in Nottinghamshire park sentenced to 10 years

Sheraz Malik, 28, who had arrived in the UK less than 12 months before the attack and whose asylum application had not yet been considered, was sentenced on Thursday at Birmingham Crown Court following his January conviction on two counts of rape. Judge Simon Ash KC described the victim as 'particularly vulnerable', noting she was heavily intoxicated and had been left alone at night with men she did not know, and said Malik struck her in the face and head when she resisted, repeatedly calling her 'a slut' after the assault. The judge imposed an extended sentence on the grounds that Malik posed 'a significant risk' to the public, had shown no remorse, and a pre-sentence report identified 'distorted thinking in relation to consent, personal entitlement and the objectification of women'. The victim's impact statement described persistent nightmares, anxiety, difficulty eating and sleeping, and fear about having to give evidence again if the second suspect is identified. A reporting restriction had barred media from disclosing Malik's immigration status until the trial concluded, but Reform UK MP Lee Anderson had already publicised it on social media, triggering protests — visible in images from the scene showing crowds carrying England flags and Union Jacks — as well as counter-protests in Sutton-in-Ashfield. Nottinghamshire Police confirmed the search for the unidentified second attacker remains an active priority. Malik was born in Pakistan and had previously lived in France, Germany and Italy before entering the UK.