Iraqi asylum seeker who raped girls as young as 12 after plying them with drink and drugs at mini-mart before raping them is jailed for 29 years

Published: 09:38, 12 June 2026 | Updated: 09:40, 12 June 2026 An asylum seeker who raped seven schoolgirls after he groomed them with drinks and drugs has been jailed for 29 years.  Bawan Harwe, 28, messaged the girls, aged between 12 and 16, under a fake name, earning their trust before raping and abusing them. The Iraqi national targeted his underage victims because of their age, and lured them to his flat by offering money and e-cigarettes before plying them with alcohol and drugs. Harwe met the girls in 2024 in Hexthorpe Mini Mart in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, where he worked. He then abused them in his nearby flat. It is understood Harwe was seeking asylum but the Home Office is unable to confirm his status in the UK due to legal reasons.   The Iraqi national was assisted by co-worker Sharam Muhamadi, who he met in 2022 after they worked near each other and lived in the same house.  Under fake names, Harwe, known as 'Karo', and Muhamadi, under 'Jack', the men messaged girls across South Yorkshire through social media.   Harwe, of no fixed abode, was found guilty 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 of exploitation. Bawan Harwe, 28, messaged the girls, aged between 12 and 16, under a fake name, earning their trust before raping and abusing them 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.  Upon sentencing at Sheffield Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Sarah Wright addressed the defendant: 'The harm you have caused is of unimaginable proportions.'  Judge Wright continued: 'The impact of your offending upon the victims, their families and indeed the wider community has been devastating. 'Their childhood and adolescence can never be reclaimed.' The court heard Harwe raped two 14-year-old girls at his home after giving them drugs and alcohol.  One of the girls described being so intoxicated, she was unable to see nor stand.  In October 2024, another victim, also 14, described watching Harwe rape another girl, who was passed out from alcohol.  The teenage girl said she forced Harwe off her and said the rapist would not let her leave until she had sex with him as well.  Sharam Muhamadi, an asylum seeker originally from Iran, was found guilty of two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation '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,' said Judge Wright. 'You raped her although she repeatedly told you to stop. She was crying and you hit her.' Harwe was sentenced to 29 years and told he would serve a further three years on licence once released.  Muhamadi, an asylum seeker originally from Iran, was found guilty of two counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation.  The 21-year-old was cleared of two other counts of arranging or facilitating travel of another person with a view of exploitation and one count of rape.  He was also found not guilty by the jury for one count of sexual assault.  Muhamadi is now on the run with a warrant for his arrest, after he fled the hearing, where he was convicted in his absence. He will be sentenced at a later date.  The four-week trial heard Muhamadi was taken into the care of social services in Bradford, after he arrived in the UK as an unaccompanied asylum seeker.  He then claimed asylum in 2021 at 16 and was granted leave to remain in 2022, to be reviewed in 2027.  Muhamadi moved to Doncaster in 2023, where he began working 'long shifts' in the shop.   The case sheds further light on crimes and illegal activity happening within mini-marts in the UK.  The true extent was uncovered after the BBC exposed the sale of cocaine and cannabis over the counter in the shops, as well as child sexual exploitation, money laundering and immigration crime.  Locals in the suburb Hexthorpe told BBC the crime in the area, which is one of the poorest areas in Doncaster, was underpinned with the sale of illegal cigarettes and vapes.  One woman described the area as 'lawless', while she recounted confronting Harwe about selling illegal cigarettes in his shop.  She threatened Harwe with calling the police, he replied: 'Do you think we are scared of the police?' The woman, who did not wish to be named, believed the abuse would not have happened if it weren't for the mini-marts.  The jury previously heard a man known as 'Karzan' arranged Harwe and Muhamadi's jobs as well as their flat. The same name was given to the BBC on several occasions by locals, including workers at the shop. However the name is reportedly not mentioned on any official paperwork for the premises.  The Government have since announced a change in the law to facilitate the closure of shops selling illegal goods.  The South Yorkshire Police have been contacted.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? 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