A ‘crime of compassion’

With the return of The Untold, a series which documents the remarkable untold dramas of 21st-century Britain, we get the opportunity to investigate a true story that initially made the headlines in October 2015 and was called a ‘crime of compassion’ in the media.

Grace Dent follows the case of Rob Lawrie

On 24 October 2015, the British aid volunteer Rob Lawrie made a decision that would change his life forever; he agreed to smuggle a four-year-old Afghan girl out of ‘The Jungle’ refugee encampment in Calais and into Britain for her to begin a new life living with relatives, with the blessing of her father.

Rob was living a regular life on the outskirts of Leeds with his family, running a carpet cleaning business. He admits that a turning point came after seeing the September 2015 newspaper photographs of the body of three-year-old Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, who was washed up dead on a Turkish beach, close to Bodrum. The events affecting the refugee children who, as Rob says had “lost the birth lottery” struck a chord with him: because of his own challenging upbringing, he felt compelled to make a difference…

A friendship is born

The former soldier first met the girl, Bahar – known as Bru - while constructing a wooden shelter at a refugee encampment close to a Channel crossing point. He quickly developed a special bond with her and her father, who had both arrived at the camp about two weeks earlier. She would walk hand-in-hand with Rob, as he helped people living there by handing out supplies and constructing shelters…

A life-changing moment

Rob agreed that he would take Bru away from the camp and give her a new life in Britain with her Aunt/Uncle and cousins living in Leeds. With the help of her father, Rob secreted her in the elevated sleeping compartment of his van, before making the journey to the cross-channel ferry where he would attempt to smuggle the girl across the border.

His heart raced as border police inspected his vehicle and selected it for additional screening. Unbeknown to the volunteer worker, two Eritrean refugees had stowed away in the back of the van…

The trial

Faced with the prospect of a five-year prison sentence for – in his own words - “an irrational and stupid decision…” the pressures took a toll on his health, career and family life. His circumstances became increasingly challenging at a time when the story was attracting a growing public interest with many people supporting him with messages, petitions and donations; while others condemned his actions.

In January 2016 he stood trial, accused of illegally transporting a foreigner, in the northern French town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. On Thursday 14 January Rob was cleared of the charge, but found guilty of a lesser allegation of endangering a child. He received a suspended fine of €1,000. Bru returned to the camp and was later reunited with her father.