A 31-year-old man, Haroon Shahid has received a hospital order following a string of sexual offences against women in Bristol. Haroon Shahid, from Fishponds in Bristol, was convicted of two counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault, subsequent to an inquiry conducted by officers from Operation Bluestone, our specialised unit for investigating rape and serious sexual offences.
On Wednesday, March 19, a jury reached a unanimous verdict after a fact-finding trial at Bristol Crown Court. This procedure occurs when a judge, based on medical evidence, determines that an individual is incompetent to stand trial. A factual trial is conducted to ascertain whether the accused has perpetrated the alleged charges.
Consequently, Haroon Shahid received a hospital order pursuant to section 37 of the Mental Health Act for committing these acts. A section 41 restriction was implemented, stipulating that his discharge from the hospital is contingent upon the approval of the Secretary of State for Justice.
Investigating officer DC Florence Dickinson said: “The jury unanimously found Shahid had carried out these extremely concerning offences again women in the Clifton and Redland areas of Bristol between February and March 2024.
“The three victims were all in their early twenties and each have shown incredible strength and bravery in coming forward to report their experiences, but also in supporting the police investigation and attending court. Each of them has played an invaluable part in ensuring a dangerous sexual offender is off the streets and unable to commit any further harm.
“We believe there may be more victims out there who’ve yet to come forward, as we strongly suspect Haroon Shahid was targeting young women in Clifton and Redland during early 2024. If you’ve been affected, or want to speak to the police, please call us on 101 or contact us online, using the reference number 5224075576.”
If you or anyone you know have been affected by the people highlighted in this article, then please report those individuals to the Police on 101 (999 if an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details of the options for reporting a crime. You can also make a report at Crimestoppers should you wish to be completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.