Rotherham grooming victims say they were also abused by police officers

Five women who were sexually exploited as children by grooming gangs in Rotherham now say they were also abused by police officers—some of them while still in uniform.

The women’s accounts, gathered by Switalskis Solicitors and seen by the BBC, include claims of rape, beatings and drug supply by South Yorkshire Police (SYP) officers during the same period in which grooming gangs operated across the town.

One woman, “Willow”, said a serving officer repeatedly raped her in a marked police car from the age of 12. Another survivor, “Emma”, said she was assaulted by an officer in a squat after fleeing a care home. Others described officers demanding sex in exchange for drugs or threatening to return them to abusers.

South Yorkshire Police confirmed three former officers have been arrested since December 2024 over historic sex offence allegations, though none have been charged.

A criminal investigation is ongoing, led by SYP’s major crime unit under oversight from the police watchdog. But critics, including Prof Alexis Jay—who led the landmark 2014 report into the scandal—say the force should not be investigating its own.

Garry Harper, a former IOPC investigator, said the previous eight-year probe (Operation Linden) was a “failure”, with no officer charged despite dozens of complaints upheld.

Campaigners continue to call for an independent force to take over the investigation to restore trust and ensure full accountability.