Police tore up files, claims abuse victim

In one case, the alleged victim said she was left bleeding after a violent assault, which she reported to children’s home staff, who called the police.

“The officer that used to come to the children’s home came and picked me up in a police car,” she said.

“He took me to a lay-by, kept calling me a liar, saying he’d read my files and that I was a liar and no-one was going to believe me, it was more trouble than it was worth and he ripped my paperwork up.

“He dropped me back at an Indian restaurant — back with my abuser.”

In another case, the mother of a then-13-year-old gir,l said her daughter had come home one night “blind drunk” but, the following morning, had vague recollections of spending the evening with a much older man. 

The police were called but tried to dissuade the girl from making a statement, the mum claimed, adding: “They said that the police surgeon was coming down the motorway to examine her and it was going to spoil his Sunday afternoon with his family — did she still want to go through with this statement?

“They kept going on and on at her till she said: ‘No, I don't want to do it anymore’ so the two police officers took us home and stopped at the door and said sorry.”

The claims were made in BBC documentary Inside Out.

South Yorkshire Police said both cases were among those now being considered by the Independent Police Complaints Commission. 

The National Crime Agency (NCA) has also be asked to carry out an independent investigation into matters raised by Prof Alexis Jay’s report into child sex abuse.

The two victims are among several being represented by lawyer David Greenwood, who is seeking compensation for the historical sex abuse.