The miscarriage of justice watchdog has sent what it believes could be the first of many grooming gang cases back to the courts. The convictions of a young teenage girl, ‘Ms AB,’ have been referred back to the courts by the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) – it’s the first referral since the publication of Baroness Louise Casey’s report on institutional failures to protect children from grooming gangs last June.
The CCRC says it is ‘actively investigating cases where victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse were treated as offenders instead of being protected as victims’. ‘We are conscious that there will be many other victims who were in a similar position and would assure them that we will investigate their cases too,’ commented CCRC Chair Dame Vera Baird KC. ‘They only need to apply; I know it will be distressing to revisit a dreadful time in their lives, but we might be able to help to tackle convictions like these.’ She added that people could approach the CCRC ‘through a charity or an organisation which provides support for victims of crime.”
The CCRC has decided there is clear evidence that Ms AB was a victim of grooming and exploitation and there was a failure by the authorities. Ms AB was convicted in Magistrates’ Court in December 2002, aged 14, of being carried in a stolen motor vehicle, driving with no insurance, and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of unlawful violence and assault. She was sentenced to a three-month referral order, her licence was endorsed, and she was given a 12-month supervision order. At the time of her convictions, she was said to be ‘in a relationship’ with a man she had met when she was 11 years old.
During an interview with the CCRC, after her application in January 2024, she explained the man would bring food to her house, flatter her and make her feel special. According to the Commission: ‘Within months, the interactions with the man became sexual, and she was encouraged to have sex with his friends. She explained that he would use violence and emotional blackmail to get her to comply. At the time of her offences, she was living in a children’s home.’
Ms AB pleaded guilty to the offences at the time and so had no ordinary right to appeal. ‘It is clear the victim in this case had a poor early life and was failed at every turn by multiple authorities, who should have been supporting and protecting her,’ Vera Baird said. ‘ There is a strong argument that she was a victim of trafficking, was sexually abused and that the police and social services failed to protect her from group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse and didn’t take steps to investigate or prevent it. Ms AB seems to have been viewed as an adult, rather than as a child.’
The CCRC has decided there is a real possibility the convictions would not be upheld on appeal to the Crown Court, as the failure to protect Ms AB and the failure to investigate left her unable to effectively participate in the proceedings and consider any defences open to her. The CCRC says: ‘It can be argued her prosecution was an abuse of process as it was not possible for her to receive a fair trial.’
‘Baroness Casey’s report called for urgent action to address systemic failures around child sexual exploitation and abuse,’ said Baird. ‘The CCRC is actively investigating cases where victims of child sexual exploitation and abuse were treated as offenders instead of being protected as victims. We are conscious that there will be many other victims who were in a similar position and would assure them that we will investigate their cases too. They only need to apply; I know it will be distressing to revisit a dreadful time in their lives, but we might be able to help to tackle convictions like these.’ She added that people could approach the CCRC ‘through a charity or an organisation which provides support for victims of crime.”
The CCRC has decided there is clear evidence that Ms AB was a victim of grooming and exploitation and there was a failure by the authorities to protect her.
Anyone with a criminal conviction they believe is linked to their exploitation by a grooming gang can find more information on applying at https://ccrc.gov.uk/can-i-apply/.
