South Yorkshire Police says it will ‘leave no stone unturned’ following Rotherham allegations
South Yorkshire Police says it is working “diligently to explore all lines of enquiry” after the BBC reported that five women who were exploited by grooming gangs in Rotherham as children say they were also abused by police officers in the town at the time.
Assistant Chief Constable Hayley Barnett said: “We know how hard it must be for a victim or survivor who has been so badly let down in the past, to put their faith into the South Yorkshire Police of today. We honour that trust with the utmost respect and care. Victims and survivors have been and continue to be at the heart of this investigation and all of our actions continue to be made in their best interests.
“We have a dedicated team of detectives working on this case who have worked diligently to explore all lines of enquiry. This has led to three arrests. One of those former officers remains on police bail pending further enquiries. The other two have been released from bail while the investigation continues.”
She added: “The investigation is overseen by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which has directed South Yorkshire Police to investigate on its behalf. In the interests of maintaining and building the trust and confidence of those who have been brave enough to come forward, we are also working closely with colleagues from the National Crime Agency, who bring with them significant expertise through Operation Stovewood to help us ensure we leave no stone unturned.”
In a statement regarding the further child sex abuse reports by Rotherham victim-survivors against former South Yorkshire Police officers, the IOPC said it first became aware of child sex abuse complaints from victim-survivors relating to former South Yorkshire Police officers when we received a referral from the force in October 2024 and instructed the force to carry out an investigation, under its direction and control.
“This means that the IOPC is responsible for the investigation and all of the key decisions. Since the investigation began, three former SYP officers have been arrested,” it said.
“This is a highly sensitive and complex investigation and we decided South Yorkshire Police would carry out the investigative enquiries given it has the specialist expertise and resources. The fact the force had already undertaken significant investigative work before we became aware of this matter was another factor in our decision – one of the officers had already been arrested at the time South Yorkshire Police first referred the matter to us in October 2024.
“We were assured by the force that none of the investigating officers had either worked with any of the former officers under investigation or were themselves investigated as part of Operation Linden. We are satisfied that there is no conflict of interest, but as a matter of course, we keep these matters regularly under review during directed investigations.”
The IOPC added: “We have been in contact with solicitors representing some of the victim-survivors regarding further reports of offending to ensure that any new complaints are investigated. The investigation has since widened to involve complaints from six women.
“We want victim-survivors to feel confident that all complaints will be treated extremely seriously and sensitively. We encourage any victim-survivors or any witnesses to come forward if they have not already done so.”