Police knew about Rotherham CSE but will not be prosecuted - report

An investigation by the police watchdog also revealed a chief inspector referred to the organised child abuse in Rotherham by British Pakistani men as “P*** shagging” during a conversation with the girl’s distraught dad and told him that; “With it being Asians, we can’t afford for this to be coming out as Rotherham would erupt."

An unnamed chief constable also admitted to the girl’s father “it had been going on for 30 years and the police could do nothing because of racial tensions”. 

Following the five-year investigation into the survivor's case, The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) upheld six of her complaints into South Yorkshire Police dating back to 2002. 

But the IOPC told the child abuse victim this week there was “no indication of any criminal offence” and closed her investigation. 

The Rotherham survivor, now in her early 30s, said she felt “heart-broken” over the report’s lack of accountability but vindicated by the fact the majority of her complaints had been upheld. 

“They have admitted failings but there are no consequences,” said the woman, who was sexually exploited and trafficked by men from the age of 14. 

“There are no consequences for allowing the abuse not to only happen but for the clear-cut failings. 

“It’s great that I have been vindicated finally after all these years, but yet again no-one is going to be made accountable for the failings that happened with my case – I've not even received an apology from South Yorkshire Police.” 

The report is part of the IOPC’s second largest investigation – dubbed Operation Linden - launched in response to the Jay Report, which revealed 1,400 children had been sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 to 2013. 

Since 2016, a total of 550 years’ jail time has been handed down to 38 defendants – 36 men and two women – convicted of historical CSE in Rotherham. 

The report upheld the woman's complaint that SYP were aware of CSE suspects from at least the mid-1990s and despite evidence given to them by youth project Risky Business, they had failed to “deal adequately with offenders”, which led to the girl being abused. 

The force also failed to contact the girl in 2005 when she returned to Rotherham after being trafficked to Bristol by two Asian men. It was left to Risky Business to pay for the girl’s train fare home. 

The IOPC said individual reports from its operation would be shared with survivors before an over-arching report was made public. 

The woman said seeing in “black and white that officers did know about it (CSE) is disgusting”. 

The IOPC also upheld a complaint around South Yorkshire Police officers using the abuse victim as an “informant” during a meeting at Bramley McDonalds when she was 15. The unnamed cops offered the girl Meadowhall shopping vouchers as payment for information, but after meeting with them alone and providing information she received no payment. 

The confidential 13-page report – which the Advertiser has seen - said the force agreed with its findings, adding: “As there is no indication of any criminal offence, we did not refer your case to the Crown Prosecution Service. Our investigation into your complaint is therefore now formally closed.” 

The woman has now started a petition calling for action to be taken.