Hull Grooming Gang: Alleged female victims complain after police officers diverted to tackle summer riots

Two young women who claim they were repeatedly raped as part of an organised child sex abuse gang have filed a complaint with Humberside Police, and have been told that officers from their investigation have been redeployed to deal with cases surrounding the summer riots.

‘Anna’ and ‘Sarah’ – not their real names – were teenagers at the time Sky News was the first to interview them in the summer of 2021.

Young women are still waiting for justice. Sometimes, when they are in the city, they still see the men who abused them as children.

The investigation into their allegations was originally concluded in 2021, but was reopened after a Sky News investigation revealed evidence that police had apparently overlooked.

After the investigation was submitted to an independent body for review, Humberside Police promised to take a fresh look at the matter.

That was two years ago, but at a meeting last month, Anna and Sarah were told that the officers were just getting started.

“They said they had just finished reading all the evidence from the previous investigation and were now starting all over again. I think two years is a long time, considering the investigation has only just started,” Sarah said.

Anna added: “I was really angry because it made us think: ‘how long is this going to last?’ It all started in 2016/2017, so it’s been going on long enough.”

Adding to their frustration, they have been told that some officers have been taken off their cases to work on the case. riot as well as the investigation into a funeral home in Hull on the treatment of bodies.

“It’s frustrating because what they’re investigating is clearly serious, but I do believe that the fact that men are raping and abusing young girls is more important than the riots,” says Anna.

“Why are they so concerned about the fact that a few people set fire to a rubbish bin in the middle of the city centre, while outside young girls are being raped and forced to do things they should never, ever do,” Sarah adds.

“It doesn’t stop with us. It continues with all the other people after us, after we leave the grooming gangs. It continues with the next generation of young girls that they will find and it will never stop.”

In a letter to Humberside Police’s interim chief constable Judi Heaton, the two women say they feel their case is “neither a priority nor taken very seriously”.

They added: “It was reopened two years ago after the first investigation was found to be inadequate. We therefore assumed that this error would be corrected with a full and thorough investigation in the second round. That did not happen.”

Sarah says she still sees the men who abused her sometimes, one of them only very recently.

“He was so close to me, and I felt so sick thinking he had even been near me. It’s a horrible, horrible feeling that comes over you.

“I see them sometimes in my local Tesco. I can be shopping and I see them and they just ruin your day because you spend the whole day thinking, ‘they’ve seen me’. So are they going to tell their friends they’ve seen me and is there someone waiting outside for me? All those emotions and thoughts go through your head.”

Anna says one of her abusers has since been convicted of raping a teenager.

She says: “That’s what he’s now in prison for. If they had listened when I first reported it, that probably wouldn’t have happened.”

Humberside Police told Sky News that this is a complex, victim-centric investigation and that some aspects of the inquiry are “well advanced”.

Deputy Chief Constable Dave Marshall said: “Child sexual abuse and exploitation is a deplorable and reprehensible crime.

“I can assure you with the utmost certainty that, regardless of any other investigation or incident that takes place, Operation Conference remains a priority for Humberside Police.

“We are committed to thoroughly investigating all available information and evidence to ensure we are in a position to hold those responsible to account.

“A tremendous amount of work has been done over the past two years. We cannot share specific details to protect the integrity of the investigation and to avoid jeopardizing future criminal or judicial proceedings.

“There is still a way to go, but we are determined to do the right thing for our victims and seek the justice they deserve. They are survivors of truly horrific experiences. We will continue to do everything we can to support and help them in any way we can.”

The government also says that combating violence against women and girls is a priority, but for Anna and Sarah it doesn’t feel that way.

Sarah says they both need an end point.

“It’s been almost six years, and we’ve stopped and started and stopped and started. We’re trying to get on with our lives – trying to better ourselves and this is just holding us back.

“We want to be able to live our lives and walk down the street without looking over our shoulder, thinking someone is going to hurt us.”