Campaigners seek legal action against those who failed to tackle grooming gangs
A police whistleblower and survivors of child sexual abuse have launched a legal campaign to investigate taking action against those who failed to tackle grooming gangs and exploitation.
The #TheyKnew campaign is seeking to raise £125,000 to investigate actions of police forces, local authorities and individuals across the country to decide whether private prosecutions, civil claims or other legal proceedings can be brought against them for past failures.
Launching the bid on Monday, former police detective turned whistleblower Maggie Oliver said misconduct in public office could be one of the offences being looked at to hold to account senior officials who 'knowingly failed in their duty to protect children' against gangs or other cases of sex abuse.
Campaigners believe that by taking action against historical wrongs, it will also help ensure 'nothing like this is ever allowed to happen again'.
Ms Oliver told the PA news agency: 'I want the message to go out very clearly to senior public servants today, whether that's chief constables, heads of social services, heads of councils, politicians that if they fail to act or to do their duty to protect children, that they can be held legally accountable in the future.
'That's the only way that I believe that we will see real, meaningful change.'
Ms Oliver, who resigned from Greater Manchester Police in 2012, said successive governments could not be trusted to bring real change, leaving campaigners to take matters into their own hands.
'I think the country is demanding action be taken,' she said.
The Government has faced pressure to act on grooming gangs and child sex abuse, and has made a series of announcements to tackle the issue since January.
Ms Oliver threatened in January that she would take Home Secretary Yvette Cooper to court unless she made 'urgent steps to allay widespread public concern' over gangs sexually exploiting children.
The charity founder described the latest update from ministers on progress to tackle child sex abuse as 'empty words' and 'more empty promises'.
Recommendations from a major review into child sexual abuse hit the headlines in January after billionaire X owner Elon Musk criticised the Prime Minister and Home Office minister Jess Phillips over the UK's handling of child grooming scandals.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) led by Professor Alexis Jay found institutional failings and tens of thousands of victims across England and Wales.
The seven-year probe made 20 recommendations in the final report published in 2022, as it described child sexual abuse as an 'epidemic' across the two nations.
The Government has vowed to carry out recommendations, including to make it a criminal offence to obstruct someone reporting abuse, and creating a new child protection authority to improve safeguarding.
The Home Secretary has also insisted that local inquiries into grooming gangs in five towns, and possibly more, will be going ahead with a £5 million funding pot after accusations that the plans were being watered down.
A rapid national audit, led by Baroness Casey, looking at the scale of grooming gangs across the country, is also expected to report back after Easter.
But Ms Oliver said that while the new offence on reporting abuse will 'go some way' to ensure exploitation in Rochdale, Rotherham, Telford and elsewhere will not be repeated, it will 'do nothing to right historical wrongs and hold those who've already failed to account'.
Non-profit organisation Action for Accountability, which has launched the bid, will be working with Devonshires Solicitors to investigate claims and will bring proceedings if it finds misconduct.
Samantha Smith, a survivor of abuse in Telford, Shropshire, who is among those leading the campaign, said: 'I will never forget how those in power turned a blind eye while I was being groomed and abused.
'I was a child begging for help.'
An inquiry into abuse in Telford reported findings in 2022 that more than a thousand children were sexually exploited over at least 30 years amid 'shocking' police and council failings.
Ms Smith added: 'We must demand better from those who claim to protect victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
'And there must be consequences for inaction.'
A survivor of abuse in Rotherham, Elizabeth Harper – not her real name – is also driving the action to 'hold those that failed to account'.
An inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, which covered the period 1997 to 2013, made a 'conservative estimate' that around 1,400 children were sexually exploited over 16 years.
Ms Harper said: 'I was also a victim of systemic failings on an industrial scale by those paid to protect us.
'Things will not change until we see accountability.'
Safeguarding minister Jess Phillips told MPs on April 8 that all chief constables in England and Wales re-examined their investigations into gang child sexual exploitation, which resulted in no further action decisions.
She added that from April 1, victims and survivors can ask the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel to independently review cases that took place after 2013.
The #TheyKnew fundraiser is being launched on CrowdJustice to cover evidence gathering, legal advice, investigators, experts and other associated costs.
Any remaining funds will be returned to donors or donated to charity.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Anand says government is increasing consular support in Middle East
Foreign affairs minister Anita Anand says she and other officials briefed the prime minister today on the "very volatile" situation in Iran. Anand says the government is ensuring there is increased consular support throughout the region, including at borders. (June 22, 2025)
Yahoo
32 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Newsroom Ready: Anand says government is increasing consular support in Middle East
Foreign affairs minister Anita Anand says she and other officials briefed the prime minister today on the "very volatile" situation in Iran. Anand says the government is ensuring there is increased consular support throughout the region, including at borders. (June 22, 2025)
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Britain to cut companies' energy bills in new industrial strategy
LONDON (Reuters) -Britain will aim to cut the electricity bills of thousands of companies under a new industrial strategy to be published on Monday, heeding calls from business to lower high energy costs that they say have damaged competitiveness and hindered growth. Under an industrial strategy for the decade 2025-2035, the government plans to cut the bills of electricity-intensive manufacturers by up to 25% from 2027, a move it said could benefit more than 7,000 businesses. The government has made boosting Britain's anaemic growth a key priority. But lawmakers and business leaders had highlighted the sky-high energy costs many companies face as a hindrance to that aim, with industry body Make UK saying government should scrap climate levies imposed on firms. Britain has been under pressure to do more to support its key industries and bolster competitiveness as the United States and the European Union also seek to do likewise, in a trade landscape upended by U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. Alongside the strategy, five sectoral plans for areas such as advanced manufacturing, creative industries and clean energy are also set to be published. The Industrial Strategy focuses on eight previously identified sectors of strength for Britain, which also include defence and financial services. The government said it would exempt energy-intensive manufacturers from levies like the Renewables Obligation to boost their international competitiveness. "Tackling energy costs and fixing skills has been the single biggest ask of us from businesses and the greatest challenge they have faced – this government has listened," Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said in a statement. The government said the energy measures would be funded through reforms to the energy system, without raising household bills or taxes. The scope and eligibility for the scheme will be finalised after a consultation. Make UK said the industrial strategy was a "giant and much needed step forward" that also tackled a skills shortage in Britain's workforce and access to capital. The Confederation of British Industry said it was an "unambiguous, positive signal" that would provide a "bedrock for growth" The industrial strategy, Britain's first in eight years, will expand the state-owned British Business Bank's capacity to channel investment into smaller companies, and provide an extra 1.2 billion pounds ($1.61 billion) a year on skills by 2028-29. The government added it would cut regulatory burdens on businesses, spend more on research and development and speed up planning processes. ($1 = 0.7435 pounds)
