"It makes you scared," one of two schoolgirls tells us on Hexthorpe Rd in Doncaster. They say they are frightened to walk through the area after hearing stories on social media about local girls being targeted. Being bribed with vapes and alcohol by mini-mart workers is a "normal" thing to hear about, they explain.
Earlier on Thursday, Bawan Harwe, a 28-year-old Iraqi national, was sentenced to 29 years in jail for raping six children in 2024. Sheffield Crown Court heard he lured underage girls back to his flat – also on Hexthorpe Road – with promises of free vapes and cash. He targeted the victims because of their age, plied them with drink and drugs, and raped or abused them. The youngest victim was 12 years old. According to the BBC, Harwe is seeking asylum; the Home Office says it cannot confirm his status for legal reasons.
“Bawan Harwe jailed 29 years for raping six children; locals blame mini-mart crime.”
A co-worker, Sharam Muhamadi, originally from Iran, has been convicted of facilitating travel for exploitation. A manhunt is now under way after he fled the trial.
The case has thrown a spotlight once again on crimes and illegal activity centred around mini-marts. Over the past 18 months, BBC investigations have exposed the sale of cocaine and cannabis over the counter, as well as child sexual exploitation, money laundering and immigration crime.
Locals living near Hexthorpe Mini Market, where Harwe and Muhamadi worked, told us they were horrified but not surprised. The street, in one of the poorest areas of Doncaster, is lined with such shops. Residents said crime was being fuelled by the sale of illegal cigarettes and vapes – a situation reflected on many other UK high streets.
One local woman, who did not wish to be named, said she thought the area had become "lawless". She remembered confronting Harwe about selling illegal cigarettes in his shop and threatening to report her concerns to the police. He replied: "Do you think we're scared of police?" Without the mini-marts, she believed, the abuse would never have happened.
A local business owner, also anonymous, told us he was "disgusted" when he heard about the girls being drugged and raped. He had reported the sales of illegal tobacco and vapes, under-age sales and anti-social behaviour to Doncaster council. Multiple raids had taken place, he said, but it did not seem to affect business – an hour after Trading Standards left, they would start selling again "straight away". He was angry and frustrated that law enforcement did not close the shops down.
Several other people told us that Hexthorpe Mini Market had been visited repeatedly by police and Trading Standards officers – yet the abuse continued.