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As Harwe begins 29 years behind bars, police race to capture his fugitive accomplice who vanished after securing bail over CPS objections.
Daily Dazzling Dawn can reveal that a manhunt is now intensifying across South Yorkshire for a 21-year-old Iranian national who disappeared mid-trial after being granted bail despite Crown Prosecution Service opposition. Sharam Muhamadi, convicted in his absence of facilitating the travel of child victims for sexual exploitation, failed to appear at Sheffield Crown Court, prompting a judge to order the forfeiture of a £19,000 surety provided by Amin Haydar.
While the public attention has focused on the 29-year imprisonment of Bawan Harwe, 28, an Iraqi national formerly working in a Hexthorpe convenience store, the wider scandal unfolding involves systemic failures in bail decision-making and the handling of unaccompanied asylum-seeking minors who later reoffend.
Harwe, of no fixed abode, was found guilty following a four-week trial 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 travel of another person with a view to exploitation. He had previously pleaded guilty 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.
But the story does not end there. Judge Sarah Wright, sentencing Harwe, told him: “The harm you have caused is of unimaginable proportions. Their childhood and adolescence can never be reclaimed.” There were gasps from the public gallery as the sentence was delivered.
Muhamadi, who had been remanded in custody between charge and trial, was granted bail following an application by his defence team after proceedings began. A police spokesperson told journalists: “A manhunt is currently under way to locate Sharam Muhamadi. We will not stop until we find him. Our officers have been working relentlessly, exploring every single line of inquiry with determination to secure justice for the victims.”
The court heard that Muhamadi arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied asylum seeker and was taken into the care of social services in Bradford. He made a claim for asylum in 2021 at age 16 and was granted leave to remain in 2022, subject to review in 2027. By 2023, he had moved to Doncaster and began working long shifts in a shop.
A Crown Prosecution Service spokesperson told journalists: “The CPS robustly opposed bail applications made by the defence throughout the court process. Ultimately decisions as to whether to grant bail are made by the court.”
On Thursday, Judge Wright ordered Haydar to forfeit the £19,000 surety within 28 days. She indicated she would allow additional time to apprehend Muhamadi before sentencing him at a later date.
Court documents obtained by Daily Dazzling Dawn reveal that Harwe targeted the victims between January and October 2024, operating from an attic room he shared with two others above the convenience store. The youngest victim was just 12 years old.
One 14-year-old victim was so intoxicated on alcohol and drugs supplied by Harwe that she could neither see nor stand. Another 14-year-old girl told the court she witnessed Harwe rape a friend who had passed out from drinking. She said she physically forced Harwe off her friend, but he refused to let either leave the property until he had also raped her. Judge Wright recounted: “She did everything she possibly could to try and help her friend and was so concerned for her welfare that eventually she gave in to your demands. You raped her although she repeatedly told you to stop. She was crying and you hit her.”
South Yorkshire Police have now launched a dedicated manhunt operation, with officers exploring travel records, known associates, and potential routes of departure from the UK. A warrant for Muhamadi’s arrest is active. The force has not ruled out the possibility that he may attempt to flee the country or seek hiding within Kurdish communities, given his Iranian background.
Judge Wright has scheduled a further hearing for 30 days’ time to review progress on apprehending Muhamadi. If he remains at large, the court may issue a confiscation order against the forfeited surety and consider additional public appeals.
The Home Office has been approached for comment regarding the handling of Muhamadi’s asylum case and whether any review of leave-to-remain decisions for individuals later convicted of exploitation offences is under consideration.
