'Failures are still happening' - former detective constable Maggie Oliver claims after Rochdale CSE report

Former detective constable Maggie Oliver – who blew the whistle on the 2012 grooming scandal – has spoken out and claimed 'failures are still happening' after a damning report into CSE in Rochdale has proven her claims that “many children’s testimonies were ignored, and their abusers were not brought to justice.”

Published on Monday (15 January), “The review into Operation Span and the investigation of non-recent child sexual exploitation in Rochdale” found that both Rochdale Borough Council and Greater Manchester Police “seriously failed” as many as 48 girls who were groomed and sexually exploited in the borough from 2004 to 2012.
 

Read more: Damning report finds 48 girls were "seriously failed" by GMP and Rochdale Council in being protected from sexual exploitation from 2004-2012Published: 15 January 2024

The Rochdale review focused on the sexual exploitation of children in Rochdale between 2004 and 2012, specifically considering the allegations set out by both former GMP detective constable Maggie Oliver and sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham.

Both women have been vindicated in the report, which also determined Sara “consistently raised concerns with both the police and children’s social care at the highest level” – despite previous claims that she hadn’t.
 

Read more: Councillor Sara Rowbotham vindicated after CSE report concludes she did "consistently raise concerns with both the police and children’s social care at the highest level" despite earlier claimsPublished: 15 January 2024

The report details how the emerging threat of child sexual exploitation was not addressed between 2004 and 2007, noting the multiple failed investigations by police and lack of response from Rochdale Borough Council to the many girls, who were mainly white and of a poor background, who all identified as potential victims of abuse by Asian men.

After looking at the cases of 111 children in the Rochdale borough, the authors found there “was a significant probability that 74 of these children were being sexually exploited at that time, and in 48 of those cases, there were serious failures to protect the child.”

It also said as many as 96 men were still deemed to be a potential risk to children in 2013.

The report concludes there was “compelling evidence” of widespread, organised sexual abuse of children in Rochdale from 2004, and established that, by October 2012, the multi-agency CSE strategy group chaired by GMP was aware of approximately 127 potential victims referred by the Crisis Intervention Team to children’s social care that had not been acted on over the years. This figure later grew to 260 potential victims.

Malcolm Newsam, lead author, said that through the review, Maggie and Sara’s claims had been substantiated, adding: “During the period covered by this review, GMP and Rochdale Council failed to prioritise the protection of children who were being sexually exploited by a significant number of men within the Rochdale area.”

Both GMP and the leader of Rochdale Borough Council have apologised for the failings.
 

Read more: “We failed you” – GMP’s chief constable apologises for the “serious failings” highlighted in Rochdale CSE reportPublished: 16 January 2024

 

Read more: Rochdale Council leader apologises after “serious failings” by local authority and police highlighted in Rochdale CSE reportPublished: 15 January 2024

In 2017, Maggie featured in the BBC documentary ‘The Betrayed Girls’, claiming lessons had not been learned from the failure of GMP’s Operation Augusta CSE investigation in South Manchester, with the same mistakes being repeated in Operation Span, which saw nine men convicted after targeting vulnerable girls in Rochdale and Heywood.

GMP hailed Span as “a fantastic result for British justice” although it had failed to address the on-street grooming of vulnerable children and the profile of offenders since 2004, despite being aware.

During Operation Span, GMP chose not to record the numerous crimes committed against one child victim, known as Amber, even though she had provided “significant evidence” over a six-month period and identified many of her abusers in several identification parades. These perpetrators were potentially left to continue their abuse of other children.

It was with these concerns in mind that the review that Monday’s report is part of was commissioned by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham just two months after the documentary’s broadcast.

Maggie worked on Operation Augusta before it was shut down due to a lack of resources before working on the Operation Span investigation.

She left the police service following its handling of Operation Span.

In 2019, she set up her own charity, The Maggie Oliver Foundation, for sexual abuse survivors and was awarded a special recognition accolade at the 2020 Pride of Manchester awards for her work in highlighting child grooming.

 

 

Maggie said the findings meant “so many mixed emotions” after more than 10 years of “fighting for the truth.”

She said: “I will remain eternally grateful to [report authors] Malcolm and Gary for doing such a thorough job in officially exposing the extent to which GMP failed hundreds of vulnerable young girls, and the force’s deliberate attempts to hide this truth and cover up their failings.

“I am also grateful on a personal level as their report confirms the truth of what I have been saying for over 12 years, and that is so important to my own recovery.

“Speaking out though has cost me dearly, but I still have no regrets about the course of action I took.

“The decision to eventually resign when the former Chief Constable would not listen or take action cost me dearly, and in many ways I will never recover from that.

“I am extremely thankful that the Rochdale survivors have, once again, had it formally acknowledged that their treatment was wrong on so many levels, although for many this is too little too late.

“My overriding emotion though is one of anger. I am angry that not one senior officer or official has ever been held individually responsible for these failures, lies and cover ups. I was unable to get anyone to listen to me about the failings and corruption I was witnessing. I spoke to officials at every level but was ignored at all turns.

“Despite this being institutional corruption, the report makes it clear that individuals were responsible for the decisions that were made. These decisions to not resource the investigations properly, were mostly because senior officers were not willing to dedicate resources to them, repeatedly failing to prioritise them, to protect children and prosecute known abusers.

“It has taken over 10 years to finally have this publicly and officially acknowledged.”

Maggie continued: “In 2022, I took three of the Rochdale survivors to receive historic apologies from GMP in relation to their treatment, but the apology came from the-then relatively new Chief Constable on behalf of the institution, not from the actual individuals who had discarded these children, and made dreadful decisions that ruined countless lives and in my opinion are guilty of gross criminal neglect and misconduct in a public office. I want them to be held accountable for this criminal neglect.

“I am sure we will be told that ‘lessons have been learned’, that such failings by police officers are a thing of the past and that investigations into child abuse are now much improved, that just last year several perpetrators of this abuse were convicted. And, of course, any paedophiles off our streets is good news. But why has it taken so long? Almost 20 years – I would say that those prosecutions would never have happened without my persistence as well as public outrage and a media spotlight.

“I am also not assured that lessons have been learned. However, I would point out that the Terms of Reference for this report ended in 2013, and I can absolutely, categorically, say that through our work today at The Maggie Oliver Foundation, we see on a daily basis that victims and survivors of sexual offences are still routinely treated badly or even inhumanely, still not believed, still judged, still dismissed when they report these horrendous crimes - just ask any of the 4,000 plus victims we have fought alongside over the past five years.

“We see lines of investigation not followed and have to advocate relentlessly for those desperate survivors seeking our help. In the worst of cases, we see those who dare to complain about their investigations or treatment by police forces subjected to police intimidation, false arrests or often being themselves criminalised.”

Maggie continued: “This isn’t just a report. This is not only my life, but also the lives of, particularly Amber, Ruby, Daisy [all names of victims are pseudonyms] and so many of the children who have allowed me to use their stories to try and change things for the future.

“I don’t want everybody listening to think this is just the story of a few children. There are children today and adult survivors of sexual violence that are being failed by a system that doesn’t work.

“That report uncovers all those lies and all those cover-ups and years of the institutions pretending that these things did not happen. They did happen. My role in the foundation means I know they are still happening. I don’t want this to be ‘lessons learned’ from the past; I want change to come for the future – and communication is the key.

“I’m very well aware that institutions pretend everything is fine. I’m saying they are not. To this day, no senior officers throughout the country have ever been held accountable for the failure to prosecute abusers and listen to thousands of victims of so-called grooming gangs.

“I feel a responsibility to be a voice for all the victims who don’t have a voice, not just in Rochdale, but in Rotherham, London etc. It isn’t just survivors of grooming gangs, it is victims and survivors of the most horrific sexual abuse that often find themselves silenced, blamed, criminalised, intimidated.”

Maggie said the foundation had supported 4,000 people in the last five years, adding that she would challenge police claims that things have changed “with every bone in my body.”

She added: “[During the press conference] I brought up the reference to the police officer who has just resigned; she fought a battle the way I fought it 12 years ago and that is a very stout reminder that things haven’t changed, because she is saying what is going on today.

“She has been begging and pleading for more resources, begging for help, challenging the decision makers, highlighting failures which are costing children today their lives, preventing them from being protected, prosecutions not happening.

“When I hear him [the chief constable] saying all these fancy figures, I’m sorry, I don’t know whether you believe that, whether you are being told that, but I am telling you that is not what is happening on the ground. That is not the truth of what is happening today.”

Maggie concluded: “I’m eternally grateful to the survivors who came with me to share their experiences with the review team. They should not have had to revisit these traumatic experiences time and time again to finally see the truth told of how they were failed, many, many years after their abuse ended.

“I truly hope their bravery gives others the strength to come forward and fight for their own justice. It is only by shining a bright light into the dark, hidden corners of all of these scandals and cover ups that we can find the real truth and so demand the changes so desperately needed to our so-called criminal justice system, which as the public know all too well is currently unfit for purpose.

“I’ve built everything on telling the truth it’s made me very ill but I’m proud of myself, I’m proud of these kids for allowing their stories to be repeatedly told and it’s re-traumatising every time; it’s triggering.

“Any victims or survivors who are affected by this news, reach out to us at The Maggie Oliver Foundation for support, whether that be emotional, or legal advocacy. And you will be heard, treated with empathy, compassion, and supported in your journey towards justice and recovery.”

The report is the result of a six-year-investigation, and is part three of the overall review into the effectiveness of multi-agency responses to CSE commissioned by Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham.

The review – split into four parts – is being led by child protection specialist, Malcolm Newsam CBE and former senior police officer, Gary Ridgway. The first considered Operation Augusta and the premature death of 15-year-old Victoria Agoglia. The second covered historic child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

 

Read more: Part 3 of independent review into child sexual exploitation across Greater Manchester will concentrate on Rochdale eventsPublished: 12 July 2022

 

Read more: A review has found that authorities ‘let down’ victims of child grooming ringsPublished: 14 January 2020

 

Read more: Oldham CSE review: Belief that children being sexually exploited were ‘troublesome’ lay at the heart of authorities’ failure to protect them, leaders admitPublished: 21 June 2022

 

Read more: Paedophile Shabir Ahmed worked as a welfare officer in Oldham unchecked for a year – despite being accused of serious child sexual abusePublished: 20 June 2022

 

The final report will consider current practice across Greater Manchester to address the risk of child sexual exploitation, and an analysis of the current processes in place under Greater Manchester Complex Safeguarding Hub. It will also look at the GMP Operations to tackle CSE that have happened more recently: Operation Green Jacket, Operation Bernice, Operation Sherwood and Operation Exmoor.

Part four is expected to be ready for publication by the summer.

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Help and support

If you suspect someone of committing CSE or believe someone you know may be a victim, you can report it to GMP via LiveChat at gmp.police.uk or by calling 101. In an emergency, dial 999.

The public can contact Rochdale Borough Council with any concerns or questions on 0300 303 0323, CSEreview@rochdale.gov.uk, or find information at www.rochdale.gov.uk/ChildProtection.

Greater Manchester Victims’ Services provides support for all victims of reported and unreported crime in Greater Manchester. The service is available weekdays from 8am to 8pm and Saturdays from 9am to 5pm via phone: 0800 876 6155 or email: GMVictims@catch22.org.uk.

Saint Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre, Manchester provides a comprehensive and co-ordinated response to men, women and children who live or have been sexually assaulted within Greater Manchester. They offer forensic medical examinations, practical and emotional support as well as a counselling service for all ages. Services are available on a 24-hour basis and can be accessed by calling 0161 276 6515.

Greater Manchester Rape Crisis is a confidential information, support and counselling service run by women for women over 18 who have been raped or sexually abused at any time in their lives. Call on 0161 273 4500 or email help@manchesterrapecrisis.co.uk

We Are Survivors provides specialist trauma informed support to male victims in Greater Manchester who have experienced sexual abuse, rape or sexual exploitation. Call 0161 236 2182.

If you are struggling to cope or having suicidal thoughts, call the Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123.

The Maggie Oliver Foundation provides emotional support and legal advocacy to survivors and those at risk of child sexual exploitation - The Maggie Oliver Foundation - Helping Survivors of Abuse.