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Woman sexually assaulted as five men tried to rape her in London park
Holly Christodoulou, The Sun
10 Nov 2020, 14:01
A WOMAN was sexually assaulted after five men pounced on her as she walked through a London park. The victim was in Burgess Park, Southwark, when she was ambushed by the predators.
She was sexually assaulted during the horror but bravely managed to fight her attackers off as they tried to rape her.
Scotland Yard said there have been no arrests as they appealed for information.
The horror unfolded between 2am and 3am on June 13 - with police today releasing an appeal.
They said one of the suspects was wearing white trainers, light denim jeans and a red hooded jacket with his hair plaited.
A second was aged in his 30s but no other information has been revealed.
Anyone with dashcam footage or any information is asked to call police on 101 quoting reference Cad 1380/13Jun20 or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
It's been 5 months! Why did you wait so long? Your odds of getting any help now would seem to be very small. Were the men white, brown, olive, purple, or green? Did they speak with an accent? This just seems pathetic to me.
More victims of the 'biggest child sex ring in Australian history' are expected - after 46 kids - including a baby and 16 from a childcare centre - were rescued and 14 alleged paedophiles hit with 828 charges
By ZOE ZACZEK FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA
PUBLISHED: 10 November 2020 | 23:16 EST
Justin Kenneth Radford, 29, (pictured) was arrested by the Australian Federal Police in February after he allegedly filmed himself sexually abusing children
Police have rescued 46 Australian children - including 16 from a child care centre - in one of the biggest alleged child sex abuse cases in the country's history.
Fourteen arrests have been made over what investigators have labelled 'abhorrent' systemic sexual abuse.
Despite 828 charges already being laid, investigators have not ruled out further arrests or the identification of additional victims in Australia and overseas.
The alleged offenders are accused of producing and sharing child abuse material to an online network.
Operation Arkstone was launched following the February arrest of Justin Radford, 30, in Wyong on the NSW Central Coast.
Police seized a number of devices from his home and discovered social media forums where some members were allegedly producing child abuse material, while others were accessing and circulating it.
Operation Arkstone was launched after the arrest of Justin Radford, 30, in Wyong on the NSW Central Coast in February (pictured)
Investigators have since uncovered more than a dozen alleged offenders from three states - NSW, Queensland and Western Australia - with more arrests expected.
AFP Assistant Commissioner, Eastern Command, Justine Gough said 'Operation Arkstone is not over'.
'We've not ruled out further arrests in Australia or offshore,' she said. 'Or sadly the identification of further victims in Australia and offshore. Our agencies are united and committed to chasing every lead and leaving no stone unturned.'
Assistant Commissioner Gough described the large-scale investigation as 'unprecedented'. 'This was a complex and inter-related web of criminality,' she said.
The alleged offenders are aged from 20 to 48, with an average age of 28.
They include a childcare worker, volunteer soccer coach, disability support worker, an electrician, supermarket employee and chef.
In some of the most extreme cases, offenders allegedly recorded the abuse of the children and shared the footage online.
The victims ranged in age from 16 months to 15 years, with an average age of eight years.
Of the victims, 39 are from NSW, six are in WA and one is in Queensland.
One of the men accused of involvement is childcare worker Timothy Doyle, 27, and his partner Steven Garrad, 22.
Doyle is facing 303 charges including sexual intercourse with a child under 10 and producing and sharing child abuse materials.
He is accused of abusing 30 children, 16 of those at a childcare centre on the NSW Mid North Coast.
'Police will allege the man used his position as a child care worker, and other deceptive means in his personal life, to gain access to 30 children,' an AFP media release said.
Parents and carers at the centre were notified of the police investigation.
Garrad is facing 189 charges, including participating in and recording and sharing child abuse material.
Grant Harden, a 30-year-old from St Clair in western Sydney, is accused of using his position as a soccer coach to allegedly abuse seven children. He has been hit with 44 charges.
NSW Police Force Assistant Commissioner Stuart Smith alleged the three men - who are accused of abusing 37 victims between them - used their position of authority with their offending.
'We will leave the specifics of the allegations but obviously, his employment [the childcare worker] played a key part in the offending,' he said.
'One of the key allegations for all three of these offenders is offending in a position of authority.'
Jake Caldwell, a 27-year-old from Seaforth, has been charged with four offences related to possessing and accessing child abuse material following his arrest on November 3.
Radford has been charged with 89 offences, including 10 counts of sexual touching of a victim under 10, 12 counts of producing child abuse material and 22 counts of disseminating abuse material.
Bestiality charges have also been laid in NSW in relation to four animals.
The investigation began in early 2020 after a tip-off from the US National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children.
Adam Parks from United States Homeland Security Investigations said US social media companies proactively reported the alleged abuse to authorities.
Three people have been arrested in the US amid the investigation. 'This is a borderless crime and it requires a borderless response,' Mr Parks said.
'This is a network, It's a global network, although rooted in Australia it includes a network in the United States as well.'
The investigations have prompted more than 146 tip-offs to North America, Asia and Europe.
Assistant Commissioner Smith said victims and their families are receiving support following the investigation. 'Yes the children are traumatised, parents are traumatised,' he said. 'This is a horrific incident.'
AFP Acting Commander Child Protection Operations Christopher Woods said investigators and forensic specialists from the AFP, NSW Police and U.S. Homeland Security Investigation have spent most of 2020 working tirelessly to make each arrest.
He said victims were often identified through seemingly minor details in photos and videos and the analysis was 'time-consuming and painstaking' but 'vital' for the rescue of the children.
'No child should be subjected to abuse and violence from people who hold high positions of trust in their lives, whether it be a family member, child care worker or soccer coach,' he said.
'These men allegedly produced child abuse material for the depraved pleasure of their peers with absolutely no thought to the lasting effects their actions would have on these children.
'Police will allege Operation Arkstone revealed a network of abuse, where the alleged offenders in the forums encouraged and emboldened each other to engage in acts of depravity and abuse of children.'
Doyle and Garrad will appear in court in Port Macquarie on November 19.
Harden will front Central Local Court on February 23.
It would be interesting to know how many victims were girls or boys. It seems like this is largely a network of gay men, but it's unlikely the media would point that out if it is true.
Girl killed herself after abuser dumped her the day before her 16th birthday, says heartbroken mum
Joe Duggan, The Sun
11 Nov 2020, 11:15
A GIRL killed herself after her abuser dumped her the day before her 16th birthday, her heartbroken mum said.
Georgia Myers was found dead days after her abuser Michael Jenkins told her he had got a young woman pregnant, it's claimed.
Georgia Myers took her own life the day before her 16th birthday in August, 2018. Credit: MEN Media
She was just 14 when her half-sister's ex-partner Jenkins, 32, began to sexually abuse her in 2017.
Jenkins called Georgia the day before her birthday to say he couldn't legally meet her when she turned 16.
Georgia took her own life following the phone call in August 2018.
Jenkins pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual activity with a child at Leeds Crown Court on Monday.
MUM'S AGONY
Her heartbroken mum Sarah Nolan, 38, believes her daughter took her own life because of Jenkins’ abuse, which "messed up her mind".
She told Leeds Live: "Sometimes I hate him. Sometimes I feel nothing for him. Whatever [sentence] he gets will never be enough. It’s devastating, it really is. It’s heartbreaking every day. She died for nothing and that’s exactly what he is – nothing."
Her abuser Michael Jenkins, 32, had dumped her over the phone. Credit: MEN Media
"I have lost someone so young and beautiful with her whole life ahead of her. Her whole life was taken away from her for nothing."
The abuse over a 10-month period made Georgia's mood "high and low" and continued until she asked Jenkins to tell others about their 'relationship'.
When Jenkins refused, Georgia told her half-sister, who is mum to two of Jenkins's children, and she reported it to police, who arrested him.
Two weeks before her 16th birthday, Georgia came home crying because Jenkins told her he had got another woman pregnant.
YOU'RE NOT ALONE
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
The day before her birthday, Jenkins called her and said police officers had visited him and told him that he couldn't legally meet her when she turned 16.
Ms Nolan said: "She believed that and he ended the phone call. She tried to ring him back but he didn’t answer. She ran off and tried calling him again."
Georgia left her house and went to Leeds Corinthians Rugby Union Football Club, where she took her own life.
Describing the moment she was told by police that her daughter was dead, Ms Nolan said: "I was stunned. To know she was dead, just didn’t make sense. It still doesn’t sink in that she’s gone for real. I couldn’t believe what he was telling me. My response to him was, “No, no, no”.'
"That night I had to go with police to identify her in the Leeds General Infirmary. She was just laid there. To know she was dead, just didn’t make sense. It still doesn’t sink in that she’s gone for real."
She said Georgia had wanted "to be all grown up" and "fell" for Jenkins.
Ms Nolan added: "She felt that bond with him like “I can talk to him and he will treat me like an adult – my mum won’t”.
"She fell for that. She fell for him. She used the kids as an excuse to visit him. But he didn’t think of her as an adult."
Nor, it would appear, did Jenkins consider himself in a relationship with her. He just strung her along for the sex. He deserves a long sentence.
Judge Mushtaq Khokhar told Leeds Crown Court it was "one of the most tragic cases I have come across".
Jenkins was remanded in custody and will be sentenced on December 18.
Rotherham child sex abuse victim Sammy Woodhouse says 'not one professional will ever be held to account' for scandal after report finds police failures but no officer will face disciplinary charges
By JACK ELSOM FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 13:32 EST, 11 November 2020
A Rotherham grooming gang survivor has revealed her complaint against the police has been upheld but regretted that 'not one professional has ever been held to account and never will'.
Sammy Woodhouse, 35, was sexually abused as a 14-year-old by ringleader Arshid Hussain and later waived her anonymity as a rape victim to expose the gang.
She also filed a complaint against South Yorkshire Police (SYP) for a string of failings that allegedly exposed other young girls to exploitation.
Her campaigning led to an investigation by the police watchdog which has now reportedly ruled that SYP officers' conduct left Hussain free to abuse children.
Ms Woodhouse today tweeted: 'My complaints against police finally upheld. Not 1 professional has ever been held to account and never will.
'I was 16 yrs old when I first reported Arshid Hussain & corruption of SYP. It's taken 19 yrs for me to prove but I finally got there.'
Rotherham grooming gang survivor Sammy Woodhouse has revealed her complaint against the police has been upheld but regretted that 'not one professional has ever been held to account and never will'
The Independent Office for Police Conduct's (IOPC) Operation Linden investigation, is yet to be published but has been seen by The Times.
The paper reports that it has upheld a complaint that SYP failed to 'deal appropriately with information which may have led to a suspect being prosecuted at an earlier stage, thereby exposing other children to abuse'.
Assistant Chief Constable Lauren Poultney has made a public apology to Ms Woodhouse, who she says should have had 'the full force' of SYP to support her.
Ms Woodhouse was sexually abused as a 14-year-old by ringleader Arshid Hussain (pictured), who in 2016 was jailed for 35 years
She said in a statement: 'We're deeply sorry that Sammy was not identified as a victim at the time of the abuse against her or consistently given the support she should have been provided.
'Sammy's bravery and courage in speaking out about her experiences has shaped the policing response to child sexual exploitation.
'We now have a deeper knowledge and understanding of the issues and the determination to address these without fear or favour as is demonstrated by our convictions against those who abused her.
'That said, Sammy should not have had to suffer this abuse at all and when it became apparent, she should have had the full force of South Yorkshire Police to support and protect her and to bring her the justice she deserved.'
Ms Woodhouse was subjected to unthinkable sex abuse by Hussain, who impregnated her in the course of his abuse.
Hussain was jailed for 35 years in 2016 for a range of sexual offences against girls, including Ms Woodhouse.
The IOPC probe found that South Yorkshire Police knew Hussain had 'a number of relationships with young girls in foster care' as early as 2000, according to the Times.
The investigation found officers - none of whom face disciplinary charges - also made a deal with Hussain, in which he would deliver one of his missing 14-year-old victims to police.
He was not arrested, nor questioned, when the girl was returned, the report adds.
The paper's original investigation into the grooming and abuse of Ms Woodhouse led to the 2014 Jay Report concluding that more than 1,400 children were targeted.
She subsequently waived her anonymity to campaign on behalf of survivors.
It began in 2014 and is the organisation's second biggest inquiry, after the investigation into the Hillsborough disaster. It was later expanded to cover allegations that senior officers failed in their statutory duty to protect children between 1999 and 2011.
Last year, the IOPC said Operation Linden was 'nearing closure'. It said it involved 91 independent investigations and, at that time, 13 officers remained under investigation.
A spokeswoman for the IOPC said today: 'We are continuing to make significant progress with Operation Linden and we have completed more than 90 per cent of the inquiries we have identified so far.
'All investigation reports are now completed, including our investigation into the actions of the former senior command team at South Yorkshire Police.
'We await responses from the appropriate authority on a small of number of completed investigations.
'Our priority throughout the investigation has, and always will be, the welfare of the many survivors of child sexual abuse we have been engaging with. As their individual cases conclude we provide them with a personal update on our findings.
'At the conclusion of all of our investigations we intend to publish an over-arching report covering all of the findings, outcomes and learning from our work on Operation Linden.'
A huge National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation - called Operation Stovewood - is continuing in Rotherham into child sexual exploitation between 1997 and 2013.
The NCA said last year it had more than 200 people working on Operation Stovewood, which had a yearly budget of just under £12million, and was looking to increase this to 250 (people, not £).
The agency said at the time it had engaged with 313 alleged victims and survivors in the town and identified 190 suspects.
You're my hero, Sammy! I wonder how many more hundreds, or thousands of lives would have been devastated by these Pakistani hordes had you not been so courageous. But, like you, I think it's a travesty that no officers or council members will ever be charged with complicity. They certainly were complicit, and if they are not charged, fear of being called racist will continue to be an excuse for looking the other way as little, British girls are abused by Pakistani men.
For more on Sammy Woodhouse, search this blog, or see more on this article in The Daily Mail.
Dozens arrested as Scots cops crack down on online child sexual abuse
Police Scotland recorded 1,036 online child sexual abuse crimes between April and September - an increase of 18.4% on the previous year and 162.1% above the five-year mean.
A new police task force has made almost 40 arrests in its first four weeks amid an almost 20% year-on-year rise in online child abuse offences.
The work of the task force, under the National Child Abuse Investigation Unit, has led to 39 arrests since September 1.
Those arrested were all male and aged 15 to 76.
A total of 37 of the arrests resulted in the recovery of material relating to online child sexual abuse and exploitation.
Police said dozens of children were identified as being at risk, or potentially at risk, and have now been protected.
Assistant chief constable Judi Heaton, of the major crime unit, said: "Recorded crimes for online offending have risen substantially in line with our determined and recent proactive work to uncover this hidden criminality.
"Online offenders may think they are anonymous and they may not comprehend the terrible, devastating and lifelong impact their actions have on children. But there is no excuse for their actions.
"Online images of child abuse and exploitation are not virtual, they show the very real abuse of a real child."
She added: "We are determined to improve our response, invest in resources and latest technologies, to track down predators and abusers and to make sure they face the full consequences of their actions.
"Tackling online child sexual abuse requires a cross-partnership effort, not only through enforcement but also on deterrence by means of offender programmes.
"We are also working with the National Police Chiefs' Council on ways we can prevent this criminality on a larger scale."
Police Scotland will run the next phase of its online child sexual abuse campaign £GetHelpOrGetCaught next week. It directs offenders or potential offenders to the Stop It Now! Scotland child protection charity for help to stop or prevent offending.
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