Rotherham abuse scandal victims ‘an afterthought’ as Maggie Oliver left dismayed by judge’s ‘empty words’

Ex-detective and Rotherham abuse scandal whistleblower Maggie Oliver has hit out at the National Crime Agency (NCA) after two victims were left out of court for the sentencing of their rapist.

Neil King was sentenced to 21 years in prison last Friday, and his two victims were ‘accidentally’ left out of the Sheffield Crown Court courtroom.

Speaking on GB News, Oliver told Charlie Peters and Martin Daubney it is another example of victims being treated as an “afterthought” as she took aim at the NCA.

“No apology will ever make this right again”, she said.

“That was their moment. 16 years of perseverance, of pain, of fighting to have their abuser sent to prison.

“Charlie [Peters] has done a great job constantly shining a spotlight, not only on the failures of the grooming gang survivors, but also the system we have in this country which is in so many ways, not fit for purpose.

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“I say often that survivors are treated as an afterthought. They are not part of the process.

“The offender will have a whole army of people making sure they’re in court and making sure their human rights are looked after, the system is broken.

“The system should be looking after victims. I was a family liaison officer on many murders and my job was making sure that the families in court were being looked after.

“These two women were left out of the courtroom. It’s clear they were not the top priority. They are useful at the start of the case when they give their recorded interview and they are useful at the end when they give evidence in court.

“They’re no longer needed once they give their interview, but that moment for them was the moment they have waited for, probably for most of their lives. I feel for them.”

A judge has agreed to sit today, six days after the sentencing, to apologise directly to the victims.

But according to Oliver, any apology now is just “empty words” as the damage has already been done.

“It should have been a given that those two women were in there and looked after”, she added.

“They should have been supported not just by one officer. It’s not good enough. I’m really sad for those two women.”