THE DISAPPEARANCE of 14-year-old Charlene Downes in Blackpool in 2003 exposed shocking levels of child sexual abuse and neglect in the seedy seaside town.
Two years later, police told Charlene’s parents, Bob and Karen, that they believed Charlene was dead and that she was likely killed hours after she was last seen on a November night downtown.
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The disappearance of 14-year-old Charlene Downes, above, in Blackpool in 2003 exposed shocking levels of child sexual abuse and neglect in the seaside townCredit: Focus Features
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Charlene’s parents Bob and Karen were abused and saw the locals turn their backs on themCredit: Mirrorpix
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Charlene, far right, with sister Rebecca caught on CCTV before she disappeared and was never seen again Credit: POLICE SALE/UNPIXS
Charlene, described by her mother as a “bubbly girl who loves laughter, Westlife and fashion”, looked youthful for her age.
I first met Bob and Karen in 2005.
I never forgot the tragic details of the story, and one of the worst aspects of it was how horrible Charlene’s life was before her disappearance.
Charlene had three siblings: Emma, Becky and Robert Jr. Young Robert died two years ago from a heroin overdose.
READ MORE ABOUT CHARLENE DOWNES
More than 3,000 people were interviewed during the search for Charlene, and in the process police were alerted to the huge number of vulnerable girls – some as young as 11 – being targeted by male sex offenders in Blackpool.
There is a dark underworld of sexual exploitation in the city, and some of these girls were hanging around the take-out alley popular with teenagers.
Numerous girls were sexually abused there in exchange for food, cigarettes and alcohol. In the period before she disappeared, Charlene was sexually assaulted there by one or more men.
‘Poor child deserves a rest’
Kebab shop owner Mohammed Reveshi and his business associate Iyad Albattikhi were charged with Charlene’s murder in 2007, but the trial was suspended after a jury failed to reach a verdict.
Both were eventually acquitted.
The case, not against them, is still open, but nothing seems to be happening.
The campaign group Justice for Charlene Downes was founded by Ronay Crompton, 45, a former youth and social worker from Bradford.
She tells me, “I watched a documentary in 2019 about the case and became obsessed with what happened to Charlene.
“We now have 4,000 members, from all walks of life, but what unites us is the desire for justice for Charlene and all other children like her.”
I’m meeting Ronay in Blackpool on the 20th anniversary of Charlene’s disappearance, Wednesday 1st November.
She brought with her a 6-foot banner that read, “Break the Silence on Child Abuse,” and a school photo of Charlene, her blonde hair framing a sweet, smiling face.
As the banner hangs between two lampposts, conveniently outside the main social services building in the center of town, several people pause to thank Ronay and other members of the campaign.
One woman shouts: “Just like that! That poor child deserves a place to rest.”
Blackpool used to be a lovely resort where my family went on holiday every year.
But over the decades it became hell on earth for children.
It is one of the poorest areas in the UK, with more than 50 per cent of children in some wards living in poverty.
The number of children in care is three times the national average, while Blackpool and Lancaster are home to more than 1,252 registered sex offenders.
Last year, Blackpool also had the highest number of sexual offenses referred to the Crown Prosecution Service in England and Wales.
A mountain of evidence shows that Charlene was known to social services as a child, both in the West Midlands and after the family moved to Blackpool.
Social workers twice decided that Charlene should be in the care of local authorities.
The first time there was no place available.
Second, she was allowed to stay with her family.
And for all the racist claims made by the British National Party, the people who initially abused or failed Charlene were of her own race, her own culture.
On the day their daughter went missing, her parents were apparently too busy hosting a man who was later revealed to be a convicted pedophile to call the police, which her mother waited two whole days for.
Their guest pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of ten-year-old children.
The parents later said they were not aware of his convictions.
Many locals turned their backs on Karen and Robert.
Some men leave their drinks in protest when he enters the pub.
Robert was hit by a car and punched several times, although the parents claim that they are in no way responsible for Charlene’s tragic death.
When Charlene started smoking at 14, her mother wondered where she got the money for cigarettes – and then she started smoking from school.
In the two years before she disappeared, Charlene, unknown to her parents, visited a sexual health clinic 13 times, once with deep bruises on her inner thighs.
Robert Jr died of an alleged drug overdose two years ago, aged 30.
In 2019, he was in prison for attacking his mother.
In 2014, police offered a £100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in Charlene’s case.
In August 2017, a 53-year-old man was arrested for her murder.
He was released pending further investigation, but remains under investigation.
dr. Kirsty Bennett, a criminologist at Leeds Trinity University, works in the cold case unit and is conducting an independent review of Charlene’s case.
He says it is “disappointing” that there has been little progress 20 years after Charlene’s disappearance.
dr. Bennett adds: “Charlene continues to be let down and no one is held accountable for her abuse and exploitation.
“This is a young girl, left vulnerable to abuse in the community.
“More work needs to be done for girls like Charlene, past and present.”
For Ronay, “There are a lot of lost and lonely people in Blackpool and they want to do something to help.”
Charlene is often portrayed as a victim of “Asian grooming gangs” – but there is no evidence that such gangs operate in Blackpool.
At the memorial for the 20th anniversary of Charlene’s disappearance, organized by her family, I spot Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, also known as Tommy Robinson, the far-right activist and founder of the English Defense League.
With him is Paul Golding from the racist organization Britain First.
Along with the British National Party, which funded a memorial plaque for Charlene in 2011 and regularly interviews Karen Downes for its website, the groups insist that “Asian suitor gangs” are responsible for the vast majority of child sexual exploitation in Blackpool and elsewhere.
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Kebab shop owner Mohammed Reveshi, right, and his business associate Iyad Albattikhi, left, were charged with Charlene’s murder in 2007, but the trial was adjourned after a jury failed to reach a verdict
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The campaign group Justice for Charlene Downes was founded by Ronay Crompton, 45, a former youth and social worker from BradfordCredit: Alamy
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More than 3,000 people were interviewed during the search for Charlene, and in the process police were alerted to the huge number of vulnerable girls — some as young as 11 — being targeted by male sex offenders in BlackpoolCredit: Shutterstock
There is no doubt that Charlene was one of the many girls who frequented takeaways in the notorious alley and were sexually assaulted for money.
“Perhaps the saddest part of this story is how Charlene has failed in life, as she has been for the past 20 years. She was let down by every agency that was supposed to be there to help her and stop the abuse,” says Ronay Crampton.
“It’s as if girls like Charlene, who are seen as lower class and from troubled families, are forgotten children.”
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Source: HIS Education