Police officers' refusal to cooperate with Rotherham abuse probe 'speaks volumes'

The Independent Office for Police Conduct revealed details towards the end of a 154-page report into police misconduct connected to the scandal but did not say how many current and former officers refused to participate.

The report said: "Some officers at SYP would not fully engage with us and we have limited powers to compel former or retired officers to do so unless there is an indication of a possible criminal offence.

"We always gave officers, named in allegations, the opportunity to respond to us but some were unwilling to do so."

At a media briefing about the report's findings Steve Noonan, the IOPC’s Director of Major Investigations, said some officers did not cooperate with the investigation but “it wasn’t hugely common”.

“Every time we ask someone to engage with one of our investigations and they choose not, it’s clearly disappointing,” he added.

Sammy Woodhouse, a Rotherham survivor who had several complaints about her treatment by police as a teenager upheld by the IOPC report, said of those refusing to give evidence to the investigation: "I'm disappointed but I think it speak volumes.

"If you are a police officer and are meant to serve and protect and it looks like you are hiding something."

The refusals to participate were also condemned by Rotherham Council leader Chris Read.

In 2017, when Rotherham Council ordered its own independent reports into the scandal Coun Read criticised the "miserable silence" of former senior officials at the authority who had refused to participate.

Among those who declined to participate in interviews were former council leaders Roger Stone and Paul Lakin, former director of children’s services Joyce Thacker and former South Yorkshire police and crime commissioner Shaun Wright, who had been a councillor in charge of children’s services between 2005 and 2010.

Other senior figures named in one report as refusing to participate were Christine Brodhurst-Brown, a former youth services manager, Tom Cray, a past director of neighbourhoods and adult services, Simon Perry, ex-director of targeted services and Howard Woolfenden, the former director of safeguarding.

Those inquiries concluded no individual senior managers and social workers could be brought to account and the IOPC investigation into police misconduct has included with no officer losing their job over the scandal.

But unlike the council reports, the IOPC report does not name any officer who refused to participate in the process or even provide their rank.

Coun Read said his disapproval of those who failed to give evidence to the council inquiries was matched by similar feelings about those in the police force who had refused to cooperate with the IOPC.

"I think people have a moral and ethical responsibility to come forward and share their stories and their version of events, accepting they may be different to what other people have experienced and all the rest of it.

"It is deeply sad when people say, 'I'm going to step back from this process because it may have some consequences and some legal ramifications for me.

"These were kids that were failed over a long period of time. There is just an obligation to play your part in that and then face the consequences.

"If people won't do that, that must just fuel the sense people have there was some sort of cover up or conspiracy. That doesn't help anybody move forward - from the people who were let down, to the community and the professionals who are still trying to do a good job today with this still hanging over them."

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