On 10th April 2024, Paul Richardson pleaded not guilty during an appearance at Sheffield Crown Court following an investigation by the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Operation Stovewood. He was charged with 15 offences including rape, trafficking for sexual exploitation, engaging in sexual activity with a child and sexual assault. 

The NCA Operation Stovewood was set up as a response to the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal which was caused by neglect of social services staff and police. The scandal came to public attention in 2014 following an investigation by The Times Newspaper and an independent report authored by Professor Alexis Jay. The report uncovered large scale grooming and sexual exploitation of children, predominantly young girls between 1993 and 2013. It exposed a failure on the part of authorities, including the police and social services, to recognise and respond adequately to reports of sexual assaults of children by gangs of mainly Pakistani-origin men.

Professor Jay’s report detailed how an estimated 1,400 children had been subjected to horrific levels of abuse, including rape, trafficking, and violence by grooming gangs between the mid-1990s and 2013. The victims were often targeted, groomed, and coerced into exploitative relationships, while the authorities failed to intervene effectively, often dismissing victims' accounts.

The scandal sparked national outrage and led to inquiries into the failings of local agencies and criminal investigations by South Yorkshire Police and then the NCA which have resulted in dozens of convictions. 

Our dedicated team at Switalskis solicitors have been pursuing justice for girls affected since 2012. Over 100 women have been compensated through assistance from Switalskis who were also instrumental in persuading the police watchdog, the IOPC to investigate police failures.

Contact us

If you have been affected by sexual exploitation and abuse either in Rotherham or elsewhere and wish to have an informal, confidential discussion about your options and rights, then please contact Sally Smith . She will be able to provide you with free and confidential advice on 01924 88200 or by email sally.smith@switalskis.com .