Police Failures Leave Abuse Victim Without Justice After 30 Years
A victim of child sexual abuse has stated that "no amount of money can fix what's gone wrong" following three decades of police failures that resulted in no charges being brought against the alleged perpetrator.
Michaela Allen, 38, revealed she was abused by her babysitter at home when she was seven years old.
Despite the allegations, police never charged the man accused of the abuse and lost crucial evidence. Years later, the evidence was found but mistakenly sent to Michaela herself, effectively ending the possibility of a conviction.
Michaela has been awarded £32,000 in compensation by the police. It is understood that two other alleged victims of the same individual, whose evidence was also lost in the same case, received approximately £10,000 each. These payments were made jointly by South Wales Police and Gwent Police, both of which have issued apologies for their failings.
From Caerphilly, Michaela expressed her feelings about the compensation, saying:
"Even though I have finalised this compensation, it doesn't really give me closure, the reality of this is there is still a predator on the loose that remains a risk to the public."
Initial Disclosure and Police Response
In 1995, when Michaela confided in her grandmother about the abuse by her babysitter, her mother immediately contacted the police.
During a police interview recorded on video, the seven-year-old described how the babysitter asked her to give him "grown up kisses." She refused, telling him it was "naughty," but he threatened to tell her parents she was misbehaving.
On the tape, Michaela recounted the babysitter saying, "You're enjoying this aren't you?" She further described how he pulled her trousers down and gave an accurate description of male genitalia.
Michaela's mother, Stephanie, previously stated:
"The police officer in that room stated that never before had she had a child give so much detailed evidence without being questioned. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to court."
Despite this, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) instructed the police officer in charge to ask Michaela's parents if she could face cross-examination in court. Stephanie said this step was never taken.
South Wales Police failed to provide updates despite repeated requests over the years.
Lost Evidence and Investigation Complications
In 2017, Michaela attempted to reopen her case but was informed that the video evidence could not be located.
South Wales Police had been responsible for the original investigation and the storage of the evidence tape. However, a boundary change in 1996 transferred responsibility for Caerphilly and Michaela's case to Gwent Police.
Gwent Police conducted an investigation in 2018, revealing that the officer involved in the original case could not recall it but claimed he would have followed CPS instructions.
With no further action taken, police stated the video evidence would have been "lawfully discarded in 1996."
Discovery of Evidence and Impact on Trial Prospects
Soon after, police unexpectedly informed Michaela that the evidence had been found.
South Wales Police explained in a letter that a lack of proper cataloguing of evidence tapes was to blame. It was only in July 2021, when 8,605 tapes were digitised, that Michaela's tape was located.
This discovery gave Michaela hope that her alleged abuser would finally face court proceedings.
However, skeptical that the tape had truly been found, she requested a copy but was told she could not receive it until the investigation concluded.
Unexpectedly, the tape arrived in the post, and a copy was emailed to her by Gwent Police.
As a result, in September 2023, the CPS informed Michaela they did not believe "the suspect could be given a fair trial." Michaela responded:
"But where was my fair trial? It's been really difficult to accept, I'm really struggling to let this go. I was just absolutely devastated.
It's just shocking to me that they can make so many mistakes and be given so many chances to rectify it, and then they finally solidify the outcome to ensure that justice could never prevail.
We were denied our right to closure and for our abuser to be held to account, which was supposed to have happened in 1997 as per clear CPS charging advice."
Compensation and Disparities Among Victims
Michaela and the two other alleged victims have now received compensation. Michaela criticized the differences in payments, stating that police have not justified the disparity.
She said:
"It's not about the money, it never has been, it's the principle. They denied us the closure in their failure to charge and then unfairly paid the other two victims substantially less than me, despite all being victims of the same crime and same police failures.
It makes the apologies from both forces we received mean nothing, to be honest with you.
They made me fight for four apologies before they would even accept the data breach of losing my evidence.
That wasn't treating me with respect or dignity that was trying their best to avoid accountability until the ICO forced their hand and upheld the data breach.
Only then they submitted and finally apologised as it was outside of their control."
She added that Gwent Police previously denied responsibility when it "directly affected outcomes for victims... which raises questions about the sincerity of that apology."
Michaela further stated:
"It feels like they are prioritising protecting their reputation and minimising financial repercussions over the duty of care they had to us as victims of abuse.
After all the stress and injustice we were subjected to, they didn't even have the respect or decency to hold their hands up for the biggest failure of all.
Not just to us, but to the public they swore to serve and protect, by letting a dangerous predator walk free after failing to act on clear CPS instructions to charge."
Other Victims and Police Statements
One of the other alleged victims, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their feelings about the police handling of the case:
"I would like to express how disappointed and let down I feel by the standard of service I received from the police.
The handling of our case over multiple investigations fell significantly below acceptable standards and demonstrated serious failings. It fell below what any victim should expect."
South Wales Police responded:
"An investigation into the complaint took place and a wholehearted apology for the original failure to locate the tape has been made. A financial settlement has also been reached.
South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urges victims to come forward to report it, regardless of when it happened, safe in the knowledge that they will be treated with respect and dignity and that their allegation will be fully investigated."
Gwent Police's Deputy Chief Constable Nicky Brain said:
"We acknowledge the upset, distress and disappointment caused and have previously apologised to Ms Allen and the two other people affected for the failure to proceed with charges in 1996 and the outcome of the investigation in 2022. We have put measures in place to learn from these.
While we acknowledge a financial offer can't recompense for the shortcomings in the service provided to them, we have made this in good faith.
We remain committed to investigating allegations of child abuse, and we would urge anyone who has suffered or is currently suffering abuse to please come forward to report it.
We understand this is a difficult step to make and should you not feel ready to talk to police, there is a whole range of partner agencies who can support you."
Support Resources
If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in this article, you can find details of organisations that can help via the BBC Action Line.
