#TheyKnew movement launches £125,000 fundraiser to explore legal accountability for historic failings
Survivors of child sexual abuse and a former police detective have launched a legal campaign aimed at holding public bodies and individuals accountable for historic failures to tackle grooming gangs across England and Wales.
The campaign, named #TheyKnew, seeks to raise £125,000 to fund a legal investigation into the conduct of police forces, local authorities, and officials who campaigners say “knowingly failed in their duty to protect children.” The funds will support the gathering of evidence, legal advice, and the potential for private prosecutions or civil claims.
Spearheading the initiative is Maggie Oliver, a former detective with Greater Manchester Police turned whistleblower. Ms Oliver, who resigned in 2012 over the force’s handling of child abuse cases, has long campaigned for justice for survivors and for greater accountability among those in positions of authority.
“I want the message to go out very clearly to senior public servants today – whether that’s chief constables, heads of social services, heads of councils or politicians – that if they fail to act or to do their duty to protect children, they can be held legally accountable in the future,” Ms Oliver said on Monday.
The campaign comes amid continued public concern over how cases in Rochdale, Rotherham, Telford and other towns were handled by authorities, with many instances of abuse going uninvestigated for years despite repeated warnings and cries for help from victims.
Ms Oliver said the action is necessary due to widespread disillusionment with successive governments’ failure to enact real change.
“The country is demanding action be taken,” she said. “It’s become clear that if change is going to happen, it has to come from the people, not the politicians.”
Joining Ms Oliver in the campaign is Samantha Smith, a survivor of abuse in Telford, where a 2022 inquiry revealed over 1,000 children were exploited over at least three decades amid “shocking” failings by police and local authorities.
“I will never forget how those in power turned a blind eye while I was being groomed and abused,” said Ms Smith. “We must demand better, and there must be consequences for inaction.”
Another survivor, using the pseudonym Elizabeth Harper, is also involved in the campaign. Ms Harper was abused in Rotherham, where a major inquiry concluded that at least 1,400 children were subjected to sexual exploitation between 1997 and 2013.
“I was a victim of systemic failings on an industrial scale,” she said. “Things will not change until we see accountability.”
The Action for Accountability non-profit organisation, which is leading the campaign, will work with Devonshires Solicitors to investigate the scope for legal action. Potential charges under consideration include misconduct in public office.
The campaign is being supported by a CrowdJustice fundraiser, with pledges going towards legal and investigative costs. Should any funds remain unused, they will be returned to donors or donated to relevant charities.
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The Government has made several announcements in recent months aimed at tackling grooming gangs and improving child protection. These include plans for a new child protection authority, a national audit of grooming gangs, and a new criminal offence to prevent the obstruction of abuse reports.
However, campaigners like Ms Oliver have labelled these measures “empty promises” and insist that more must be done to acknowledge and correct past failures.
“The new offence is a step forward, but it will do nothing to right historical wrongs or hold those who’ve already failed to account,” she said.
In Parliament last week, Safeguarding Minister Jess Phillips told MPs that all chief constables had been asked to re-examine historic no further action decisions involving gang-related child sexual exploitation. Victims can now also request reviews of cases through the Child Sexual Abuse Review Panel for incidents occurring after 2013.
But survivors remain sceptical. As Ms Smith bluntly stated:
“They ignored us once. We won’t let them do it again.”
