In 1998, while I was still at school, I was groomed and sexually abused by a 47 year old married man. The man dressed like a police officer and carried handcuffs in his bag on his way to work. He told me he was a court guard. Last year I discovered he was actually a police officer.
In 2015, I reported this man to South Yorkshire Police and their first response was excellent but I can pinpoint exactly when they turned against me. It was when the Investigating Officer knocked on the man’s door.
A few nights later the Investigating Officer turned up at my home with another police officer [redaction made for legal reasons]. They told me they were dropping the case because I hadn’t reported anything criminal. They said “It can’t be a crime because you kept going back. You kept letting him touch you”; “You wanted what happened”; “It was just an affair”; “You weren’t dragged into that alleyway” and “if we interview him he won’t be able to travel abroad “. I was on my own and felt very intimidated.
The following day I contacted someone [redaction made for legal reasons] who made a complaint on my behalf.
I met with a police officer [senior rank – redaction made for legal reasons] who spent over an hour writing down everything that happened and what I wanted to complain about. Or so I thought.
When the police officer [senior rank – redaction made for legal reasons] finished, he looked at his watch and said “Look at the time! I had to be in Sheffield an hour ago”. He asked me to quickly sign the complaint which I did, thinking I’d just read my copy later. It took me over 2 years to get that copy. He wouldn’t give me his findings in writing either.
And the complaint I’d signed? The police officer [senior rank made for legal reasons] had written about minor grievances that never even happened. He did ask another police officer [redaction made for legal reasons] to carry out “further enquiries” into the man who abused me. This investigation turned out to be a sham.
My case had clearly been filed as “closed” while the second police officer [redaction made for legal reasons] was pretending to carry out his investigation. He lied about attempts he’d made at contacting witnesses too.
I made a Subject Access Request to South Yorkshire Police as soon as I was informed my case was closed. The records to this day say my case was closed by the FIRST officer on my case, due to no crime having been committed. There is nothing from the second police officer [redaction made for legal reasons].
I complained to their Data Compliance Unit. Where are the records from the second police officer [redaction made for legal reasons]? Where is the second statement I made? They contacted the second police officer [redaction made for legal reasons] and did several more searches but told me they had sent me everything.
I confidently made a complaint about the police officer [senior rank – redaction made for legal reasons] and the second police officer [redaction made for legal reasons]. Confident, because I had all the evidence to back it up. My complaints were rejected for being “repetitious” and “vexatious”. Professional Standards didn’t even record them as valid complaints.
I have tried everything I can to report the corrupt officers who protected my abuser but it’s impossible.
People who sound like they can help you either turn out to be powerless (MP’s; Victims Commissioner; victim’s charities) or part of the problem (IOPC, Professional Standards; Police and Crimes Commissioner).
As long as the police protect misogynists no woman will ever be safe.
Constabulary: South Yorkshire Police
Timespan: 1998
Did you report it to the police?: Yes
Your ethnicity: White British
Have you experienced suicidality due to this?: Prefer not to say
