More than £100,000 raised in fight for justice over abuse scandals including Rotherham

A survivor-led campaign backed by former Rotherham police whistle-blower Maggie Oliver has raised more than £110,000, in a bid to launch legal action against authorities accused of failing to prevent widespread child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) across the UK.

The #TheyKnew campaign, led by not-for-profit organisation Action for Accountability (A4A), is just shy of its £125,000 crowdfunding target, with more than 3,000 people pledging donations in the nine days since it launched.

The money will fund legal investigations, potential civil claims, and even private prosecutions against individuals and institutions who, campaigners say, “turned a blind eye” to abuse.

Directors of the campaign include former Greater Manchester Police detective Maggie Oliver, and former CEO of the Maggie Oliver Foundation Jennie Lucas.

Rotherham survivor Elizabeth Harper is acting as an advisor to the group.

The campaign aims to challenge the systemic failures that allowed abuse to go unchecked in towns like Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford, and Telford — areas where survivors and campaigners say authorities repeatedly ignored warnings and failed to act.

For survivors like Elizabeth Harper (a pseudonym), the campaign is deeply personal.

“I am a survivor of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham. I was abused. I was also a victim of systemic failings on an industrial scale by those paid to protect us,” she said.

“Now I campaign tirelessly to try and hold those that failed to account. Things will not change until we see accountability. This is why I want to be part of the #TheyKnew campaign to try to throw open the floodgates, so not only historic survivors get long-denied justice, but to protect those that may be affected in the future.”

Maggie Oliver added: “This is about securing justice not just for the survivors, but for the public as a whole. Too many people in positions of authority knowingly turned a blind eye, protected reputations instead of children, and allowed serious abuse to continue unchecked.

“We’ve seen a flurry of investigations and reports, but barely any civil claims or criminal prosecutions have been brought against the individuals who failed to act despite mounting public pressure. We’ve waited far too long for redress. They knew and now they must answer. The funds raised will go a long way to not only righting an historic wrong but making sure nothing like this is ever allowed to happen again.”

The push for legal accountability comes more than a decade after the bombshell Jay Report in 2014, which revealed that at least 1,400 children — most of them girls — had been groomed, raped, and trafficked in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

Commissioned by Rotherham Council and led by Professor Alexis Jay, the report described appalling acts of abuse — including gang rape, trafficking, and threats of violence — carried out over many years, often in full view of authorities.

Even more shocking was the conclusion that police and social services were repeatedly aware of what was happening but failed to intervene, often blaming the victims instead of pursuing the perpetrators.

The campaign follows years of investigations into institutional failures, most notably Operation Linden — a major probe by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which reviewed 265 allegations and examined 47 South Yorkshire Police officers. The IOPC found widespread failings, with only a small number of officers facing misconduct action.

In response, South Yorkshire Police said they “fully accept the findings” of the report. Deputy Chief Constable Tim Forber acknowledged the force’s historic failings and said: “We let victims of CSE down. We failed to recognise their vulnerability and failed to see them as victims, for that I am deeply sorry. They deserved better from us.

“Whilst I am confident we are a very different force today, I will not lose sight of the fact that we got it wrong and we let victims down.”

Rotherham Council, which commissioned the 2014 Jay Report that first exposed the scale of abuse has also acknowledged serious past failings. In its original response, the council said:“We failed in our duty to protect these young people. That is a matter of profound regret.”

South Yorkshire Police also told the BBC that there is ‘no excuse’ for past failures to properly investigate child sexual exploitation and acknowledged that the abuse uncovered in the 1990s and 2000s marked a turning point.

The force said its response has since undergone significant change, with dedicated multi-agency teams in place and external oversight to ensure that investigations now follow best practice and are carried out without bias or hesitation.

Rotherham Council added that it remains committed to supporting victims and has spent the last decade working with survivors to improve services. The council encouraged anyone affected by child sexual abuse to come forward, reassuring them that support is available and they will be listened to.

As of today, the campaign has raised an impressive £110,361 out of its £125,000 target, with only 20 days left to reach the goal. The funds will cover the costs of extensive evidence gathering, expert legal advice, and investigative work, including the potential for private prosecutions.

With only a few weeks left before the campaign’s deadline, organisers are urging anyone who can contribute to donate and share the campaign widely.

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