Iraqi Mini Mart Worker Bawan Harwe Jailed for 28 Years For Grooming, Trafficking & Rape of 7 Schoolgirls In Sheffield

An Iraqi national who worked as a mini mart worker has been jailed for 29 years at Sheffield Crown Court after using his position to target, groom, and traffic seven underage girls for sexual abuse during a series of offences in 2024. Bawan Harwe, 28, of no fixed abode, systematically targeted victims aged between 12 and 16, using social media under a pseudonym to establish contact. The prosecution detailed how Harwe utilized his access to commercial stock, specifically offering vapes and alcohol to children alongside cash incentives to gain their trust before subjecting them to rape and exploitation.

Following a four-week trial, Harwe was convicted of eight counts of rape, two counts of meeting a child following sexual grooming, two counts of false imprisonment, and six counts of arranging and facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. He had previously entered guilty pleas to one count of rape of a child under 13, three counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of possessing extreme pornography. Judge Sarah Wright imposed a 29-year custodial term with an extended three-year licence period, stating during sentencing that the harm caused was of unimaginable proportions.

The court heard that Harwe carried out the offences while employed at a convenience store in Hexthorpe, residing nearby in an attic room. The prosecution proved that Harwe deliberately selected the victims based on their vulnerability and age, administering alcohol and drugs to compromise their ability to consent. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Harwe raped two 14-year-old girls at his address after providing them with intoxicating substances, leaving one victim unable to stand or see.

Further testimony detailed an incident in October 2024 involving another 14-year-old victim who witnessed Harwe assaulting a friend who had lost consciousness. The court heard the defendant refused to allow the conscious girl to leave the property until she submitted to his demands. Judge Wright noted that the victim attempted to intervene to protect her friend before Harwe raped her despite repeated instructions to stop, using physical violence when she resisted.

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Harwe’s co-defendant, Sharam Muhamadi, 21, was convicted in his absence of two counts of arranging or facilitating the travel of another person with a view to exploitation. Muhamadi, an Iranian national who also worked in a local shop after being granted leave to remain in the UK as an asylum seeker, was acquitted of two further counts of the same charge and one count of rape. Under judicial direction, the jury also returned a formal not guilty verdict on one count of sexual assault against Muhamadi.

A manhunt has been launched by South Yorkshire Police to locate Muhamadi, who absconded partway through the trial after being granted bail by the court. The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it had robustly opposed all bail applications made by the defence throughout the proceedings, noting that final bail decisions rest solely with the judiciary. Muhamadi had been subject to a £19,000 surety provided by an associate, Amin Haydar, which Judge Wright ordered forfeited within 28 days following the defendant’s failure to surrender to the court. Sentencing for Muhamadi has been deferred pending his apprehension by law enforcement.