Fourth Accused Officer Dies in Rotherham Probe

Five women who survived the Rotherham grooming gangs have alleged that they were also sexually abused as children by South Yorkshire Police officers, with some attacks beginning as early as age 12 and involving threats of being returned to their abusers. The victims claim some officers both participated in abuse and collaborated with grooming gangs, ignored reports of exploitation, and supplied drugs to the gangs. Three former police officers have been arrested in connection with a new criminal investigation, though none have been charged so far, and a fourth accused officer has died. Professor Alexis Jay, who led the 2014 inquiry into the Rotherham abuse, has called for the investigation to be conducted by an independent body rather than South Yorkshire Police itself. The revelations have reignited public concern about police corruption and institutional failures, further eroding trust in the force. The Rotherham abuse scandal, which saw at least 1,400 girls exploited between 1997 and 2013, continues to expose serious institutional shortcomings.