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Death of Charlene Downes

Charlene Downes (born 25 March 1989, disappeared 1 November 2003) from Blackpool, England was a fourteen year old girl who is presumed to be murdered. She was last seen at Blackpool town center. Due to a catalogue of mistakes by the police it is unlikely that anyone will ever been convicted of causing her death.

A 2007 trial saw Iyad Albattikhi charged with murdering Downes and Mohammed Raveshi charged with helping dispose of the body, with the prosecution alleging that Downes' body was chopped up and put into kebabs. Police also believe her remains may have been ground up into tile grout. The jury failed to reach a verdict and a second trial was abandoned following concerns about surveillance evidence.

The case helped to expose the issue of grooming and sexual abuse of girls in Blackpool by ethnic minorities, with police investigations identifying 60 white girls aged 13-15 who were victims at 11 "honeypot" takeaways, although such revelations were kept secret by the police at the time. Investigations by The Times newspaper exposed a pattern of street sex offences committed by similar groups of men on vulnerable girls across the North of England and the Midlands. The suspected murder of another Blackpool girl, Paige Chivers, is also believed to be linked to the case.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission review of the case found a "catalogue of errors which undermined the court case", and the investigation into Downes' disappearance "was "handled poorly and unprofessionally" by Lancashire Police. A number of police officers faced sanctions for failings relating to the case, with Detective Sergeant Jan Beasant found guilty of misconduct and forced to resign.

Background
Downes was born on 25 March 1989 to Robert, a former soldier, and Karen. She had two sisters and a brother and they lived in Buchanan Street, Blackpool. The family had moved to Blackpool from the West Midlands in 1999. Downes was educated at St. George's High School, Blackpool, she was described in court as "well and happy" but had a "chaotic" home life and had been expelled from school. She would spend her time around Blackpool Promenade and was one of many local white girls who had been groomed by takeaway staff to carry out sex acts in exchange for alcohol, cigarettes and food.

Disappearance
Downes was last seen in the early evening of Saturday, November 1 2003. She had seen her mother in Blackpool town center, kissed her goodbye and promised not to be late home saying she was going to the town's arcades. She was a slight girl, standing 5 feet 1 inch high, and was aged 14 at the time of her disappearance. The last confirmed sighting of Downes was at the junction of Abingdon Street and the back of Clifton Street. Detective Superintendent Paul Buschini, who led the murder investigation stated he believed Downes had "died within hours of her disappearance."

Police investigation and arrests
In May 2004 police searched three restaurants in Blackpool town center in connection with the disappearance of Downes, also carrying out forensic tests although the premises in question were not believed to be directly linked to the disappearance of Downes. They also visited various businesses and residences to conduct saliva swab forensic tests.

On 7 March 2006 police conducted early morning raids on addresses in Blackpool and Fleetwood, making three arrests, two on suspicion of murder. Following the arrests police forensic teams undertook detailed examination of two premises, one of which was the Funny Boyz takeaway (later renamed "Mr Beanz"). Two days later Iyad Albattikhi, aged 28, appeared in Blackpool magistrates court charged with Downes' murder on or about 1 November 2003. Mohammed Raveshi, aged 49, was charged with assisting in the disposal the body. Both were remanded into custody.

Failings by police and social services
On 15 October 2009 an Independent Police Complaints Commission report on the case ruled that the investigation by Lancashire Constabulary was "handled poorly and unprofessionally" and that the evidence contained a "catalogue of errors which undermined the court case". In December 2011 a disciplinary hearing found Detective Sergeant Jan Beasant guilty of two counts of misconduct, one of which she was reprimanded for and the other requiring her resignation. Lancashire Police stated her conduct had "let everyone down". A second officer received a written warning, five were given words of advice and two others retried before the completion of the IPCC investigation so could not be disciplined. Lancashire Police also stated they had "previously acknowledged that certain aspects of this case have not been well managed – specifically during the time prior to the trial – and for this we have apologised to the Downes family."

A report by Blackpool Area Child Protection Committee was also commissioned after Downes' disappearance. It stated "more appropriate parenting and effective safeguarding", might have resulted in a "safer outcome", noting how it had taken five months to allocate a social worker to the family following their move to Blackpool, despite warnings by the previous local authority of a "chaotic home lifestyle". The report also showed how frontline staff lacked "sufficient awareness of the risks particularly in the area of exposure to sexual exploitation," and by "sexually offending adults".

Protests
A number of protests seeking justice for Downes have taken part in the town. In March 2011 Blackpool Casuals, a group affiliated to the English Defence League, protested on Blackpool promenade, an event timed to coincide with what would have been Donwes' 22nd birthday. In April 2011 the group protested outside the Mr Beanz takeaway on Dickson Road to highlight the way the police had handled the enquiry. The following month up to 2,000 EDL protesters demonstrated on Blackpool Promenade in relation to the case, with police introducing limits to number of people allowed to protest outside the Mr Beanz takeaway. Members of the Downes family have also been involved in the "Justice of Charlene" campaign, participating in events both in the town and in Blackburn.

Karen Downes, Charlene's mother, praised the protesters stating she was "overwhelmed with the support".

Aftermath
Downes' disappearance and the events afterwards had a considerable impact on her family. In April 2008, one week after the collapse of the murder trial, Karen Downes was arrested after stabbing her husband, Robert. Police did not press charges against her. Reflecting on the incident she stated: "I'd had enough, of him, my life, of it all. Charlene is all I can think of. If we could only find answers, some peace, things might get easier. We desperately need a break and closure. No-one's helping us. Our family's in meltdown."

In June 2011 Albattikhi was jailed for 20 weeks for assaulting a teenage girl after head-butting her. He was also given a two year restraining order.

Tributes
On 15 September 2008 a memorial service took place at St John’s Church in Blackpool, with a message of support sent by Darren Day. The Reverend Hornby stated: “The best memorial to Charlene will not be in marble or stone but in the smile and sunny nature that so many of her family, friends and neighbours have described so well.” In November 2008 a bench in Downes' memory was unveiled in Stanley Park by her family. It was later moved to the rose garden at Carleton Crematorium. Downes' father Robert cycled from Liverpool to Blackpool to raise funds for his daughter's memorial fund. A further memorial service was due to be held in March 2012 where a plaque was to be unveiled.

Legacy
Investigations into child exploitation in Blackpool sparked by the Downes case have led to lengthy convictions in other similar cases in the region. In April 2006 illegal immigrants Puppy Parmar and Sandeep Chauhan were sentenced to a total of almost 14 years imprisonment between them for the rape of a 16 year old Blackpool girl at the Taj Mahal restaurant in Blackpool.