Police Pay £32,000 Compensation to Caerphilly Abuse Victim After 30 Years of Failures

Michaela Allen, 38, has stated that "no amount of money can fix what's gone wrong" following three decades of police failures that resulted in her alleged child sex abuser never being charged. Ms Allen received £32,000 in compensation, though two other alleged victims in the same case received significantly less, approximately £10,000, jointly from South Wales Police and Gwent Police.

Ms Allen detailed that she was abused by a babysitter at her home in 1995 when she was seven. Her mother immediately reported the incident to the police, and a detailed video interview with Ms Allen was recorded. Despite the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) instructing police to assess her ability to face cross-examination, this never occurred, and the investigation stalled.

In 2017, Ms Allen attempted to reopen her case, but was informed that the original video evidence was missing. South Wales Police was responsible for the initial investigation and evidence storage, but a boundary change in 1996 transferred responsibility for Caerphilly cases, including Ms Allen's, to Gwent Police. A 2018 Gwent Police investigation concluded the evidence would have been "lawfully discarded in 1996."

However, the evidence tape was later found during the digitisation of 8,605 tapes in July 2021. South Wales Police attributed its loss to poor cataloguing. This discovery initially offered Ms Allen hope for a prosecution. Yet, the tape was subsequently sent directly to her by post and emailed by Gwent Police, a significant mishandling that the CPS cited in September 2023 as making it impossible to ensure the suspect a "fair trial."

Ms Allen expressed her devastation, highlighting the systemic failures that denied her and the other victims justice. She criticised the disparity in compensation payments and the forces' reluctance to accept accountability for the data breach and the initial investigative failings. Both South Wales Police and Gwent Police have apologised for the shortcomings in their service.