7,300 lines of enquiry in Rotherham child sex abuse probe

The National Crime Agency, which has identified 300 possible suspects, including two former or current borough councillors, said this week that two of six new investigations with a total of nine suspects were being prioritised by officers carrying out Operation Stovewood.

One of the investigations is Operation Bauno, the investigation of criminal allegations referred by Louise Casey following her inspection of Rotherham Borough Council,” a spokesman said.

The number of lines of enquiry has more than doubled since the agency’s last update in June.

By January, the Operation Stovewood team led by investigating officer Steve Baldwin (pictured) will have gathered and assessed around 10,000 documents, from various sources, and turned them into electronic records which could identify new leads.

The NCA, which has 60 officers and other staff working on the probe, said it had prioritised contact and interviews with around 50 victims and survivors.

“Interviews are being conducted as quickly as possible, taking into account individual victim needs and availability,” the spokesman said.

“We have the names of hundreds of potential suspects and hundreds of victims and survivors.”

The first accounts from suspected offenders would be sought early next year, the NCA said.

“We are working closely with other agencies to provide the best possible support and advice for all victims, survivors and witnesses and to ensure that agencies are well placed to support the investigation’s growing needs as it moves forward.”

The agency said earlier this year that the “large-scale, complex” Operation Stovewood would almost certainly become the largest investigation of its kind in the UK.