A grooming gang survivor from Rotherham has submitted a complaint to the police watchdog after being stunned by reports into its alleged failings.
Whistleblowers who formerly worked at the Independent Office for Police Conduct told Channel 4 News last night that its probe into police failings during the Rotherham atrocity was littered with failures.
They alleged that documents were lost and investigators were told to avoid looking into senior officers.
Operation Linden, the IOPC’s investigation into South Yorkshire Police, was launched after a 2014 report exposed that at least 1,400 children were abused in the South Yorkshire town.
Some of the men involved in the Rotherham grooming gangs
PA
One whistleblower said about the investigation: “We’re just another chapter in the failure for the survivors.
“They haven’t received the service they should have received and the force hasn’t been held to account in the way that it should.”
After the shocking allegations last night, GB News has exclusively seen a complaint submitted to the IOPC about its handling of a survivor’s case.
She said: “After recent events in the media and the allegations that cases was [sic] not appropriately investigated, paperwork lost and also documents, I want to complain.”
She lamented a lack of “compassion” and “empathy” from investigators, but said she was now especially concerned that the report had not sufficiently investigated her case.
The survivor, who achieved prosecutions for one of her many abusers, told GB News that she “did not fall for the line” that none of the police officers who failed her could be identified.
She said that she had lost confidence that her complaints, several of which were upheld, were acted upon sufficiently.
She added: “None of you actually wanted to get to the truth and see those police officers held accountable for letting me hundreds of others down.”
A spokesperson for the IOPC said: “We are extremely concerned about the inaccurate allegations made by two former IOPC employees to Channel 4 news and understand the impact this will have had on survivors and complainants.
“Following yesterday’s report, we will respond to any complaints raised as a priority. Today we have offered to meet with one of the complainants and will be happy to have further meetings with survivors and complainants to discuss the issues made in the programme.
“Throughout Operation Linden, the welfare of survivors has been our priority and this will continue.”
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Operation Linden, the IOPC’s investigation into South Yorkshire Police, was launched after a 2014 report exposed that at least 1,400 children were abused in the South Yorkshire town
PA
The spokesperson added: “We are aware of one instance when one document went missing, a thorough search was carried out and this was reported to the ICO at the earliest opportunity. We have not recorded any other loss of documents during the investigation.”
In response to the Channel 4 report, a spokesperson for the IOPC said: “Our priority from the very start of Operation Linden was always the welfare of the survivors, who showed incredible bravery in coming forward and throughout the whole process.
“Many of the survivors we spoke to made it clear they wanted primarily to see meaningful changes to policing that meant other people wouldn’t have to suffer in the way they did.
“Every one of the 91 investigations within Operation Linden was carried out thoroughly and all lines of enquiry explored by up to 50 IOPC staff.
“During the seven-year investigation, the second largest in our history, we investigated 265 separate allegations made by 51 complainants, 44 of whom were survivors of abuse and exploitation.
“Approximately 1,000 statements were taken and 4,000 investigative actions undertaken.
“It’s completely inaccurate to suggest that investigators were told not to investigate senior South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers – there was a dedicated investigation within Operation Linden which was focused solely on senior officers within the force and, had we found any indication of corruption, it would have been rigorously pursued.
“And there was no attempt to bury that report. Like the other investigation reports, it could not be published due to the very personal information and data included within it.
“That is why we produced one overarching report, published in 2022, detailing our findings and recommendations.
“We concluded that SYP failed to protect vulnerable children and young people at that time and to recognise the scale of the offending and effectively tackle it.
“We found systemic issues including failures in leadership, lack of professional curiosity, cultural issues and gaps in skills and training.
“The force acknowledged past failings and the focus needs to be on learning from those mistakes.
“Where individual failings were identified they have been addressed, but our role is to investigate – we do not make the decision on sanctions.
“Of the 47 officers investigated, we found eight had a case to answer for misconduct and six for gross misconduct.
“In many cases, officers had retired and, due to the legislation, could not face disciplinary proceedings, the passage of time also had an impact on the evidence that was able to be gathered.
“All of our 13 recommendations – aimed at ensuring others did not have to go through the same experiences – were accepted by South Yorkshire Police as well as the National Police Chief’s Council, Law Commission and the College of Policing.
“One recommendation, accepted by the Law Commission, was for a review of the laws surrounding offences committed by young people who are being groomed or exploited to reduce the impact on their futures.
“Operation Linden resulted in actions to improve the way survivors are treated when they report child sexual abuse and exploitation, and ensure police officers are better equipped to investigate these horrific offences. This is something survivors consistently told us they wanted to see.”
A spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police told GB News: “Our understanding and handling of cases of child sexual exploitation (CSE) has evolved considerably since the publication of the Jay Report in 2014.
“Listening to the experiences of victims and survivors has allowed the force to learn from its past failings and has helped to instigate a crucial change with regards to how we respond to and handle cases of CSE.”
In a statement to Channel 4 News, a spokesperson for South Yorkshire Police said: “The Terms of Reference for any IOPC investigation is set by them.
“South Yorkshire Police fully cooperated with Op Amazon and supplied the IOPC with all relevant information. The decision on whether to publish the report is entirely a matter for the IOPC.”