Published by Robert L Senior Reporter on Wednesday 26th March 2025, at 19:00hrs
A 31-year-old man, Haroon Shahid from Fishponds, Bristol, has been detained under a hospital order after being found to have committed a series of sexual offences against women in the city.
Following an investigation by Operation Bluestone, the dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, Shahid was found to have carried out two counts of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault.
Due to medical evidence indicating Shahid was unfit to stand trial, a “trial of the facts” was held at Bristol Crown Court.
This process determines whether the accused committed the alleged offences. On Wednesday, 19 March, a jury unanimously concluded that Shahid had committed the offences.
As a result, Shahid was given a hospital order under section 37 of the Mental Health Act. Furthermore, a section 41 restriction was added, meaning he can only be discharged from hospital with the approval of the Secretary of State for Justice.
Detective Constable Florence Dickinson, the investigating officer, said:
“The jury unanimously found Shahid had carried out these extremely concerning offences against 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 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.”
The police are urging anyone who may have been a victim or has information related to these incidents to come forward.
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