Rotherham Council has come under fire from a survivor over claims that it has failed to collect sensitive files that relate to the town’s child sex abuse scandal, GB News can reveal.
In December 2022, a former youth worker in the South Yorkshire town deposited a significant dossier that contained “hundreds” of files, some of which are alleged to have contained operational details.
The information deposit form, signed by a council employee, said that the files are “Owned by RMBC [Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council], not previously held by owner.”
The files were originally gathered by the Risky Business youth project, which was set up in 1997 by Rotherham Council to work with children at risk of sexual exploitation in the town.
Charlie Peters
GB News
A spokesperson from Rotherham Council said: “Rotherham Council received the materials in December 2022 and they were passed over to the National Crime Agency in December 2022.”
A victim from the town’s sex abuse scandal contacted the council in distress after learning about the missing files, fearing that information about her abuse might have been missed by the agencies due to the files being held independently of the council and the National Crime Agency.
A senior manager in the council responded in an email, which GB News has reviewed, confirming that none of the information received related to her.
The manager added: “The Council recognised that the information could potentially be relevant for police investigations.
“Therefore, in December 2022, the Council sent the information directly to National Crime Agency (NCA) advising that the information may be of relevance to enquiries. Responsibility for criminal matters rest with either the NCA or the Information Commissioner’s Office.”
Patrick Christys
GB News
An NCA spokesman said: “The NCA did receive material from RMBC in December 2022 on the basis that it could potentially be relevant to Operation Stovewood. However following assessment this was found to consist of duplicates of material already in our possession.”
But GB News understands that there are further sensitive files that relate to alleged perpetrators and victims of sexual exploitation.
The files, seen by this broadcaster, include operational details collected by researchers from 1999 to 2001.
The files include the names of alleged perpetrators and their activity, such as the sightings of alleged perpetrators in various cars.
Other details include hotels and takeaways “where young people have been targeted/taken.”
GB News understands that some of the sensitive files were created by the Risky Business youth project.
The youth worker said they spoke to a senior manager at the council on Aug. 10 to say they wanted to return these additional files, but the council has yet to organise their recovery.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they said: “Rotherham Council still aren’t taking this situation seriously. The implications of files still being out there could have a massive impact on ongoing investigations and therefore justice for victims.”
A survivor from the town’s sex abuse scandal told GB News: “I’m appalled that copies of these files are floating around and not in the hands of the authorities. They contain sensitive details about rapists and their victims, and information about my abuser and their accomplices.”
Elizabeth, not her real name, added: “Rotherham Council were informed about these sensitive files but have sat on their hands and failed to collect them immediately, which should have been a matter of urgency. How many days need to pass while this information is floating around in public?”
Rotherham Council has been contacted for comment regarding the alleged delay in collecting the files.
Alex Stafford, the Conservative MP for Rother Valley, said: “Rotherham has suffered greatly over the past few decades with thousands of our children abused and ignored.
“This new revelation will only come as a shock to those victims and further add to their suffering. We must do everything in our power to make sure victims are protected.”
He added: “I urge the council to collect these sensitive files immediately and ensure that other details aren't being circulated.”
A government review into the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal found in 2014 that over 1,400 children, predominantly young girls, had been abused by majority British-Pakistani gangs from 1997 to 2013.
In 2015, the National Crime Agency reviewed that figure to 1,510 as it launched a new investigation into historical sex abuse in the town. The NCA has made dozens of arrests related to the scandal since 2015 in its Operation Stovewood investigation.
A spokesperson from Rotherham Council said: “The Council isn’t aware of any information that is awaiting collection. Whenever information that may be relevant to Operation Stovewood comes to light we would ensure this is passed to the National Crime Agency to assist with their enquiries. Anyone who has information that they believe belongs to the Council and should be in the Council’s possession, should make contact with us.”
