Greater Manchester Police accused of failing 14-year-old child sexual abuse victim
For three years, Marlon’s night-time routine was different to most dads. Instead of kissing his teenage daughter goodnight, he was driving around Manchester at dawn desperately looking for her.
Content warning: This article contains details of child sexual abuse
“I’d drive around most nights until three or four o’clock in the morning,” he says.
“One time, I found her at a property. It was midnight, the middle of winter. I contacted the police and they said someone would be there in 10 minutes. I was still there at 4am waiting for them to turn up.”
Marlon first contacted Sky News a year ago. His daughter Scarlett was repeatedly going missing, often just for an evening, but sometimes for up to two weeks.
She had shown him threatening text messages she had received – including a video of bullets being loaded into a handgun and fired out of a car window.
Among the intimidating messages was one that read: “Because you’re ignoring me, I’m coming to shoot your dad.”
Then a man wearing a black balaclava delivered a menacing letter to Marlon’s house – his presence was captured on the CCTV installed above the front door.
Marlon, from Hyde in Greater Manchester, was convinced his daughter was being sexually exploited but claims no one would listen.
“Numerous times, police officers have told me they’ve got more important cases to deal with,” he says.
Scarlett and her father Marlon
Police shouted at father
At a meeting with the Greater Manchester Police missing persons team, Marlon says he was shouted at and told to stop reporting his daughter missing.
“At the time when that happened, she was 14 years old.”
Scarlett, now 18, has waived her anonymity to talk about what was really happening. Her father’s worst fears were right, she was being sexually exploited by older men.
She says she first reported being physically and sexually assaulted by a gang aged 14.
She felt the police didn’t investigate properly. Her behaviour became more unstable and erratic, and she was an easy target for a groomer, in this instance a woman, who befriended her and led her into sexual exploitation by older men.
She would find herself waking up in hotel rooms, often with injuries, after getting drunk and being given drugs.
“I’d wake up and there would be loads of bruises on my legs and I didn’t know where they’d come from, but they were big bruises,” she says.
Images show her with bruises on her legs and face.
“I’d see things in the morning like condoms on the side, sex toys, big bottles of vodka, cocaine packets,” she says.
She doesn’t always recall exactly what happened but remembers her ‘friend’ going into the shower with one of the men, while another man stayed in the bedroom with her.
Scarlett knows that she was sexually exploited and has nightmares about it.
Sometimes she wakes screaming for her father. The recurring dream is of a shadowy man in her bedroom.
“The first few times dad reported me missing I feel like they (the police) took it seriously because I’d never been reported missing before,” she says. “It was so out of character for me.
“And then, it was as though, after more phone calls the police officers would say ‘oh I know you. I hear your name on the radio all the time’.
“Even if I’ve not met them, they’ll say, ‘oh we’ve heard of you’. I think they were just sick of my name coming up to be honest. So, the police just feel like I’m a problem to them.”
Video filmed by her abusers
Officers refused to arrest suspects
Even when she was picked up in cars with older men and her father reported her missing, Scarlett says officers lacked curiosity and if they’d bothered to search the car, they would have found drugs and a machete.
“The police wouldn’t even arrest them. We’d be in a car park at 3am. It’d just be: ‘What are you doing here?’
“They just took me home to my dad and said: ‘She’s been found in a car in a car park with older guys’. There were never any questions of ‘why are you acting like this?’
“The police would say to me, ‘give it five minutes ’til we’ve left, cos we know you’re going to go again, so just wait ’til we’ve gone’.”
Mobile phone footage of one of the hotel rooms she was taken to
Scarlett admits she would go back to her groomer.
She didn’t trust the police. She felt the authorities were sick of her, and she didn’t seem to understand she was being exploited because she thought it was “normal”.
“In the back of my head I knew it wasn’t right, but I just kind of ignored it because everyone else did,” she says.
Once, after her father reported her missing, officers arrived at his home in the dead of night.
CCTV captured one of the men telling the other to give ‘just a little tap’ on the door.
Marlon thinks it’s because they didn’t want to get involved. He didn’t hear them, and only knew they had visited from the images on his CCTV camera.
As a senior health worker who understands child safeguarding, Marlon knew the protocols to rescue his daughter from her groomer, which included trying to get a recovery order and what is called a Child Abduction Warning Notice (CAWN), which puts an alert out on a particular individual who might be a threat to a child.
But in a text exchange a social worker told Marlon that social services could not apply for a recovery order because his daughter had been put into care, neither could they apply for the warning notice because, they claimed, that was the responsibility of the police.
But the police texted back that it was in fact social services who would need to apply for a recovery order.
Marlon felt desperate and as if nobody was willing to help.
“While my daughter was missing from home for two weeks and being more traumatised by the experience of being groomed and sexually exploited, they just saw me as a problem, as a parent who gave them earache.”
Abduction notice took three years
It would be another three years before the police imposed a CAWN on the person who was allegedly grooming Scarlett.
Meanwhile, she was struggling to cope and the person she took her anger and upset out on was the person most trying to help her.
“I used to get so angry with my dad,” she says.
“I’d flip out at school because my emotions were all over the place. My way of dealing with it was to explode – it was like a volcano erupting.”
As a result of these outbursts, Scarlett ended up in the care system from which she also went missing.
If there is one thing she would like to tell her younger self it is that everything her father did was to keep her safe.
“I realise why he did it now,” she says, revealing a mind map she had drawn to convince care staff to let her move back in with her father.
“I used to get so angry with him sending all these emails and [arranging] all these meetings and I used to think ‘You’re an idiot. You’re embarrassing yourself. What are you doing? Because the police aren’t listening to you’.”
Mind map Scarlett drew to convince care staff to allow her to live with her father again
Sharing story to help other victims
Scarlett is sharing her story now because she wants people in that situation to know they have a choice and they can get out.
“I didn’t think anyone would be interested in what’s happened to me,” she says.
“Speaking out like this now, someone else might think ‘I’ve been in the same situation as her’ and there are things you can do, not just stay silent and suffer.”
Greater Manchester Police’s head of public protection, Detective Chief Superintendent Michaela Kerr, said safeguarding vulnerable young people is of “the highest importance” to the force.
“In recent years and in recognition of previous failures, the force has worked hard to ensure the consistent delivery of outstanding service, which fights crime; keeps people safe; and cares for victims. This work is ongoing,” she said.
“In relation to this case, GMP’s Professional Standards Branch and senior officers from the Tameside district have reviewed complaints.
“These have been resolved directly with the complainant and none of the outcomes have, so far, been appealed.
“The force and relevant partner agencies continue to work closely on this case and in relation to safeguarding generally.”
Read more from Sky News:
Marriage age raised to 18
Inside earthquake-hit Syria
Transgender rapist jailed
A Tameside Council spokesperson said they were legally unable to comment on Scarlett’s case.
But they said: “Where any concerns or issues are raised we work closely with individuals, families and our partners to provide support and resolve, as appropriate.
“Where individuals aren’t satisfied with the services received, we do have a statutory complaints procedure and individuals can ultimately take their complaint to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman.”
Scarlett lost her childhood and much of her education.
Four years on from when it began, she is back with her father, who has paid for her to have therapy. They now have each other, but little faith in anyone else.
Former British athlete Lynsey Sharp has told Sky News she would have won a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016 had today’s gender testing rules been in place then.
Sharp came sixth in the women’s 800m final behind three now-barred athletes with differences in sexual development (DSD).
She told sports presenter Jacquie Beltrao the sport has changed considerably from when she was competing.
“Sometimes I look back and think I could have had an Olympic medal, but I gave it my all that day and that was the rules at the time,” she said.
“Obviously, I wish I was competing nowadays, but that was my time in the sport and that’s how it was.”
Gold medallist Caster Semenya, with Lynsey Sharp and Melissa Bishop at the women’s 800m final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Pic: Reuters
The Rio women’s 800m final saw South Africa’s Caster Semenya take gold, with Burundi’s Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui winning silver and bronze respectively. All three would have been unable to compete today.
Semenya won a total of two Olympic gold medals before World Athletics introduced rules limiting her participation in the female class.
Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Nyairera at the women’s 800m final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Pic: Reuters
The women’s 800m final at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Pic: Reuters
In a major policy overhaul introduced this year, World Athletics now requires athletes competing in the female category at the elite level of the sport to take a gene test.
The tests identify the SRY gene, which is on the Y chromosome and triggers the development of male characteristics.
The tests replace previous rules whereby athletes with DSD were able to compete as long as they artificially reduced their testosterone levels.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
From March: Mandatory sex testing introduced for female athletes
Sharp says while she was competing, governing bodies “didn’t really deal with the issue head on”, and she was often portrayed as a “sore loser” over the issue.
Despite running a Scottish record in that race, her personal best, she described the experience as a “really difficult time”.
“Sadly, it did kind of taint my experience in the sport and at the Olympics in Rio,” she said.
Sharp added that despite the changes, it remains a “very contentious topic, not just in sport, but in society”.
Read more:
World Athletics to introduce mandatory sex testing
Caster Semenya ruling on sex eligibility case
Olympic gold medallist appeals over genetic sex testing
Boxing has now also adopted a compulsory sex test to establish the presence of a Y chromosome at this month’s world championships.
The controversial Olympic champion Imane Khelif, who won Olympic welterweight gold in Paris 2024 in the female category, did not take it and couldn’t compete.
She has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against having to take the test.
Britain’s Keely Hodgkinson at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Pic: Reuters
Sharp’s comments come as British athletics star and Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson is tipped to win her first world title in Sunday’s women’s 800m final at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
She is returning from a year out after suffering two torn hamstrings.
Sir Ed Davey has pledged to “stop the boats” as the Liberal Democrats toughen up their rhetoric on immigration.
The party leader told Sky News he and his MPs will be talking about immigration during his party’s conference, which starts today, as it is a “big policy which people are concerned about”.
He also claimed the Lib Dems are the only party “taking on Reform” with different ideas on how to solve people coming to the UK in small boats.
The party’s manifesto says it would work with Europol and the French authorities to “stop the smuggling and trafficking gangs” behind the crossings, but as immigration has become one of the most contentious topics in the UK, Sir Ed appears to have hardened his tone on the subject.
Sir Ed Davey spoke to Sky News ahead of the 2025 Lib Dem autumn conference
He told Sky News: “We’ll talk about how we stop the boats, how we close down the asylum hotels.
“But we’ve got thought-through policies about how you would do that in a humane way, unlike people like Farage and the Conservatives.”
Sir Ed blamed the Conservatives and Reform leader Nigel Farage for Brexit and taking the UK out of the Dublin Convention, which means asylum seekers can only make a claim in the EU country they first arrived in.
He said the Lib Dems “know how we can solve” the small boats issue, as he put his party forward as the only one to take on Reform.
“We need to process the applications really quickly, deport people who have no right to be here, and if they have a right to be here, get them working so the taxpayer isn’t paying for the hotels,” he added.
“These are practical ways forward, and we’re the only party taking on Reform with different ideas for solving this.”
The Lib Dems’ tougher tone might not be enough for some
Bournemouth is famous for its sandy beaches, sunny weather and wholesome seaside attractions. But over the summer it also became infamous for the number of asylum seekers put up in its hotels.
This weekend, it’s also hosting the Liberal Democrats’ annual conference, and while most political parties are competing to sound tougher on illegal migration – the Lib Dems are still putting forward a more humanitarian approach, albeit with a slightly harder tone.
While today, they’re calling for the government to speed up the asylum decision-making system with ‘nightingale’ style temporary processing centres, the fundamentals of their policy do not seem to have changed.
They still want to expand the number of safe and legal routes for those escaping war and persecution, so that people can apply for asylum without crossing the channel illegally.
They’re also calling for asylum seekers to be able to work while awaiting decisions to be made on their cases.
“Anybody sensible wants a fair and effective immigration asylum system,” says Lisa Smart MP, the party’s home affairs spokesperson.
“We’ve seen Reform UK just sat shouting and sounding very angry, we’ve increasingly heard the Tories moving closer and closer to them, and Labour acting like a tribute act.
“We want a fair and effective system which treats people coming here, fleeing war and persecution, like human beings.”
Some voters I spoke to in Bournemouth told me they supported the principle of welcoming genuine refugees wanting to come to the UK to build a better life, and liked the idea of creating more safe and legal routes.
But there was also widespread scepticism about the lack of progress made by successive governments in tackling illegal migration – with many keen for a tougher approach.
Two former Lib Dem voters told me they’d been turned away from the party because of their concerns about people breaking into the country and putting pressure on its creaking infrastructure.
Recent polling suggests immigration is now the biggest concern for voters.
Luke Tryl of organisation More in Common says it could be a problem for the Lib Dems trying to broaden their appeal at the next election.
“The difference with Liberal Democrat voters is that despite the fact they have that shared view with the majority of the rest of the public (that levels of immigration should come down) it’s a less important issue for them,” he says.
“If the Liberal Democrats want to grow, if they want to go beyond last year’s election result and perhaps position themselves as a future coalition partner for the Labour Party, I think voters are going to want to see a more comprehensive offer on immigration.”
For those taking part in weekly protests outside the Roundhouse – one of three town centre hotels booked out by the Home Office for housing asylum seekers – there was considerable anger.
Many of those protesting told me they feel ignored.
“As you can see we’ve had enough,” said Mark Dean. “We can’t just sit on our sofas and say nothing and expect the country to change, because it will not.”
“I work at a homeless shelter two days a week and there are so many people who use that who have to sleep in tents on the beach,” said Sarah Turnbull.
“It’s heartbreaking to see how many people in our area are struggling just to feed themselves and we’re spending millions on illegal migrants.”
The Lib Dems are unlikely to win over many of the voters protesting outside asylum hotels. But this weekend’s conference is an opportunity to try and pitch to those uncomfortable with the right wing tilt of public debate on the issue.
We should be worried about Reform
The Lib Dem leader’s reaction to Reform, which has consistently led the opinion polls recently, has also hardened.
Since last summer’s election, the Lib Dems have generally chosen to avoid attacking Reform or Labour, with Sir Ed going for the Conservatives’ record instead.
Lib Dem insiders previously said the tactic was to let Reform implode.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Sir Ed Davey: ‘Well I think my respect for the King isn’t under question’
However, after Mr Farage swooped in over the summer parliamentary recess with numerous headline-grabbing news conferences, Sir Ed is taking a different tactic.
He said it is still very early on this parliament, which is set to end in 2029, and the Lib Dems are building on their record result last year, which saw them gain 61 MPs for a total of 72, by doing well in May’s local elections.
Sir Ed surfing in Cornwall during the election campaign. Pic: PA
But, he said: “I think people should be worried about Reform.
“They represent a set of issues which I don’t think are British issues. They suck up to Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Nigel Farage thinks Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, is the world leader he admires the most.
“Nigel wants to frack across England’s countryside. He wants to have American-style health insurance. I don’t think people want that.
“And the more Nigel Farage and Reform are exposed for what they believe in, the more people look for other parties of change.
“Clearly not Labour, the Tories – they’re not trusted, they’ve failed.
“But the Liberal Democrats have a change agenda which is true to British values, which is genuinely patriotic and which will solve the day-to-day problems that people are worried about, like health, like care, like the cost of living.”
And will Sir Ed be taking part in more stunts this conference after becoming famous for them during the election campaign? Yes he will, he confirmed, but you (and he) will have to wait and see.
The Liberal Democrat conference is taking place from 20-23 September. Sky News will be bringing you all the coverage live from Bournemouth.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment12 months agoHere are the best electric bikes you can buy at every price level in October 2024