Survivors of sexual exploitation in Rotherham have “no faith” in the police force investigating allegations its own officers took part in abuse in the town, according to solicitors.
The police watchdog has said there is no conflict of interest surrounding South Yorkshire Police (SYP) investigating its own staff after victims of the Rotherham abuse scandal said they were abused by serving officers.
Five women have told the BBC how they were exploited by grooming gangs in the town when they were children and also sexually abused by officers.
According to a special report by the BBC, one girl was raped from the age of 12 in a marked police car and the officer threatened to hand her back to the groomers if she did not do as he said.
SYP is carrying out inquiries into these allegations under the direction of the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
So far, three former officers who worked for the force have been arrested.
The law firm Switalskis, which represents survivors of abuse in Rotherham, said it had hoped that alleged abuse by officers would have been unearthed following Operation Linden – a long-running, IOPC investigation into how police responded to child sexual abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
The firm said in a statement: “That never came. For years SYP resisted our requests for an investigation into the alleged criminality of police officers, despite us providing them with the accounts of survivors.
“Those that have suffered abuse in Rotherham have no faith that SYP will do a thorough job of investigating alleged abuse by their own officers.
“In addition, dealing with SYP is retraumatising for them. Many of our clients refuse to report offences to SYP because they do not think they will be believed and because they were treated so badly in the past.
“This investigation must be handed over to an independent police force to ensure that survivors feel confident enough to come forward.
“The accounts we have heard, which we expect are only a fraction of the full scale of abuse, are utterly harrowing.”
According to the BBC report, Prof Alexis Jay who led an independent report into sexual abuse in Rotherham, was “shocked” that SYP was investigating its former officers and felt that another organisation should be leading.
An IOPC spokesman said: “We first became aware of complaints from victim-survivors relating to child sexual abuse allegations involving former SYP officers when we received a referral from SYP in October 2024 and instructed the force to carry out an investigation under our 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.”
He 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.”
The spokesman said: “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 Op 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.”
SYP Assistant Chief Constable Hayley Barnett said a dedicated team of officers was working on the continuing inquiries.
She 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.”
Ms Barnett said that the force is also working with Operation Stovewood – the National Crime Agency’s huge investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
She said this was to “help us ensure we leave no stone unturned”.
In 2022, Operation Linden concluded that SYP fundamentally failed in its duty to protect vulnerable children and young people during the period under investigation.
Operation Stovewood has identified more than 1,100 children involved in the exploitation in Rotherham.
