Maggie Oliver has criticised the treatment of grooming gang victims, saying they are often treated as "witnesses" rather than victims in the criminal justice system.
Oliver's comments come as GB News revealed a grooming gang survivor discovered her rapist had been released only after seeing a social media post about him being charged with new offences.
The abuser, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was released several years ago, but victim liaison services failed to contact one of his victims.
Speaking to GB News, Oliver pointed out how this issue is "not an isolated case" but one she hears "time and time again".
Oliver pointed out how this issue is "not an isolated case"
GB NEWS
She cited the Rochdale case, where a young victim known as Ruby encountered her abuser in a supermarket after his release from prison, having never been informed he was free.
"She went into a complete and utter panic attack," Oliver said, explaining that authorities claimed they couldn't inform the victim because she had moved house.
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"The reality was that the house she had lived in when all the abuse was happening, her mum still lived there," Oliver continued.
She said: "A victim is not treated as a victim in the criminal justice system. They are treated as a witness, as an afterthought, as an inconvenience, quite often.
"Another case that Charlie often has spoken to young Elizabeth now, she recently went through the same process with a parole hearing, where the Victim Liaison Service told her that she couldn't attend the hearing.
"When he was appealing for parole, she was told she couldn't take a support worker with her, where he had his solicitor sitting next to him.
"All these failures retraumatise a victim, and it's just proof that they are always the bottom of the pile.
"And they're the changes that we need to see. Victims need to have rights. This should not be an afterthought, it should be their right."
The victim interviewed by GB News described how perpetrators were repeatedly released on bail despite serious concerns.
"They got the one that failed to attend, got remanded in prison. Then he got released again on bail, too, pending a court date," she said.
The survivor told GB News that her victim liaison officer had apologised to her for the oversightGB NewsA Ministry of Justice spokesman responded to the case, acknowledging the severity of the crime.
"This was a horrific crime, and our thoughts remain with his victim," the spokesman said. The Ministry emphasised that measures are in place to protect victims from released offenders.
"Victims must feel safe, which is why offenders released on licence must follow strict conditions, such as curfews and exclusion zones that prevent them approaching their victims..
"They face going back to prison if they break the rules."
