Locations
Hexthorpe Road, Doncaster, DN4
Description
The courage of seven girls who bravely disclosed the sexual abuse they had been subjected to has resulted in the conviction of two men.
Bawan Hawre and Sharam Muhamadi were both found guilty by a jury today (Tuesday 9 June) of a number of offences against the girls, who were aged between 12 and 16 at the time, after a four-week long trial at Sheffield Crown Court.
They were charged following a thorough investigation, led by South Yorkshire Police’s Barnsley Child Exploitation Team which works collaboratively with Barnsley Council under the umbrella of the BSAFE team.
Through engagement with and support from officers and staff in the BSAFE team, the investigation began in August 2024, after one of the victims bravely made a disclosure during routine safeguarding after being reported missing from home. The girl disclosed she had been abused by a man she knew as being called 'Karo', and in contact with another man she knew as 'Jack'.
After building rapport with the victims, the multi-agency investigation team was able to establish that there were additional victims, and through careful and dedicated work over a period of time, identified 'Karo' as 28-year-old Hawre and 'Jack' as 21-year-old Muhamadi.
During the trial, the jury heard the offenders, who used the fake names in every encounter with the girls, initially made contact via a social media platform where they offered the girls vapes, e-cigarettes, and money.
Arrangements were then made to meet in person, where the girls were transported between Barnsley and Doncaster.
Six of the girls were given alcohol and drugs before being raped by Hawre.
Detective Sergeant Jude Proffitt, who works in the BSAFE team, said:
"These girls have demonstrated such bravery in testifying against these men who abused them. They will continue to be safeguarded and offered support by the force, Barnsley Council, and other services.
"We will continue to do everything we can to prevent and eradicate child sexual exploitation, acknowledging that the issue is evolving and there will always be more to do. We are, however, encouraged that the processes and procedures the police and local authority have in place to spot the signs and act on them enabled and empowered one of the victims to make the first disclosure which ultimately led to these convictions.
“We also commit to ensuring our response to child sexual exploitation is the best it can be, providing victims with the support they need to disclose incidents and bring cases to court in the hope of securing justice.
“While this conviction concludes these criminal proceedings, both ourselves and Barnsley Council will continue in our efforts to identify those at risk of child sexual exploitation and intervene at the earliest possible opportunity. If you or someone you know may have been subjected to this awful abuse, please report it to the police, BSAFE or someone you trust.”
Bawan Hawre, formerly of Hexthorpe Road, Doncaster, was found guilty of six counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation, one count of rape of a girl under 13, four counts of rape of a girl aged 13/14/15, two counts of adult meeting a girl under 16 years of age following grooming, and two counts of false imprisonment.
He pleaded guilty to one count of rape of a girl under 13 before the trial. One count of rape of a girl aged 13/14/15 was dropped during court proceedings.
Sharam Muhamadi, formerly of Hexthorpe Road, Doncaster, was found guilty of two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation.
He was found not guilty of one count of rape of a girl under 13, one count of rape of a girl aged 13/14/15 and two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation. A charge of sexual assault on a female was dropped during court proceedings.
Sentencing will take place on Thursday 11 June at Sheffield Crown Court.