Woman abused by babysitter as a child says compensation can’t fix injustice done by police
A child sex abuse victim has said “no amount of money can fix what’s gone wrong” after 30 years of police failure with no one charged.
Michaela Allen, 38, said she was abused by a babysitter at her home when she was seven years old.
But police never charged the man allegedly responsible, who lost vital evidence; he only found it years later and accidentally sent it to Michaela, ending any chance of conviction.
Michaela was given a £32,000 reward by the police, but it is understood there were two other victims of the same perpetrator whose evidence in the same case was also lost, receiving nearly £10,000 paid jointly by South Wales Police and Gwent Police – with both forces apologizing for their failures.
Michaela, from Caerphilly, said: “Although I have secured this compensation, it doesn’t really give me closure; the fact is there is still a predator on the loose and continuing to pose a risk to the public.”
Michaela Allen says she is devastated to have her case against her alleged harasser dropped due to police error [Michaela Allen]
When Michaela told her grandmother When her mother saw what her babysitter did to her in 1995, she immediately called the police.
In the police interview video, the seven-year-old describes how he asked her to give him an “adult kiss.”
The woman refused, saying it was “naughty”, but the man threatened to tell his family that she wasn’t behaving like that.
On the tape, she said the man told her: “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
He went on to describe how he pulled down his pants and accurately identified male genitalia.
Michaela’s mother, Stephanie, previously said: “The police officer in that room testified that never before had her child given such detailed evidence without being questioned.
“There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to go to trial.”
Michaela Allen says she was sexually abused by a babysitter when she was seven [Michaela Allen]
Although the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) instructed the police officer in charge to ask Michaela’s parents if she could be cross-examined in court, Stephanie said this never happened.
Despite repeated requests for updates over the years, South Wales Police never followed up.
In 2017, Michaela tried to reopen her case but was told no video evidence could be found.
While South Wales Police was responsible for the original investigation and preservation of the evidence tape, a boundary change in 1996 saw Gwent Police take responsibility for the Caerphilly and Michaela case.
An investigation by Gwent Police in 2018 found that the officer in the original case could not remember the incident but claimed he had followed CPS instructions.
Police said the video evidence “will be legally destroyed in 1996” if no further action is taken.
Michaela has been waiting for her alleged abuser to face justice since 1995 and says it’s hard to let go [Michaela Allen]
But soon the police were contacted with unexpected news claiming that evidence had been found.
In a letter to her, South Wales Police blamed the failure to catalog evidence tapes, and Michaela’s was only found in July 2021 when 8,605 tapes were digitised.
This revelation gave Michaela hope that she would finally face her alleged abuser in court.
He didn’t believe the police had actually found it so he asked for a copy, but was told he wouldn’t be able to get it until the end of the investigation.
Then, to his surprise, the tape turned up in the mail and a copy was emailed to him by Gwent Police.
The CPS told Michaela in September 2023 that they therefore did not think “the suspect could get a fair trial”.
“So where was my fair hearing?” asked Michaela.
“It was really hard to accept, I’m trying really hard to let it go. I was absolutely devastated.”
“It’s shocking to me that they were able to make so many mistakes and were given so many chances to make it right and in the end they cemented the outcome to make sure justice could never prevail.
“We have been denied closure and the right to hold our abuser to account, which was due to take place in 1997 in line with the clear advice of the CPS.”
The first person Michaela told about the abuse was grandmother Margaret (right) [Michaela Allen]
Michaela and two other alleged victims have now received compensation but Michaela said the disparity in payments was unfair and police would not justify the difference.
“This is not about the money, it never has been, it’s the principle,” he said.
“They refused to close by not laying charges and then unfairly paid two other victims much less than me, even though they were all victims of the same crime and the same police failures.
“To be honest, the apologies we have received from both forces mean nothing.
“They made me struggle to apologize four times before admitting the data breach because I lost my evidence.
“This was not treating me with respect or dignity as they did their best to avoid accountability until the ICO forced their hand and confirmed the data breach.
“Only then did they give in and eventually apologize because it was out of their control.”
He said Gwent Police had previously denied responsibility “because it directly affected the victims’ outcomes”, which raised questions about the sincerity of the apology.
He added: “They feel they are prioritizing protecting their reputation and minimizing the financial fallout over their duty of care to us as victims of abuse.
“After all the stress and injustice we’ve been subjected to, they didn’t even have the respect and courtesy to raise their hands to the biggest failure.
“They swore an oath to serve and protect not just us, but the public, by allowing a dangerous predator to go free after failing to act in accordance with clear instructions from CPS.”
Another alleged victim, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “I would like to express how disappointed and disappointed I am at the standard of service I have received from the police.
“The handling of our case across multiple investigations fell significantly below acceptable standards and demonstrated serious failings. It fell below what any victim should expect.”
Michaela says it’s unfair that two other victims weren’t paid the same as her [Michaela Allen]
South Wales Police said: “An investigation into the complaint was launched and a sincere apology was made for not being able to locate the tape. “A financial settlement was also reached.
“South Wales Police takes all reports of sexual assault seriously and urges victims to report it, knowing that regardless of when it occurred, they will be treated with respect and dignity and their allegations will be fully investigated.”
Gwent Police Department Divisional Ch Con Nicky Brain said: “We acknowledge the distress, distress and disappointment we have caused and have previously apologized to Ms Allen and the two other individuals affected for the failure to pursue charges in 1996 and the outcome of the investigation in 2022. “We have taken steps to learn from these.
“Whilst we recognize that a financial offer cannot compensate for the deficiencies in the service provided to them, we have done so in good faith.
“We remain committed to investigating allegations of child abuse and urge anyone who has been or is currently experiencing abuse to please come forward and report it.
“We recognize that this is a difficult step to take and if you do not feel ready to speak to the police there are a number of partner agencies that can support you.”
If you are affected by any of the issues in this article, you can find details of organizations that can help at: BBC Action Line.
