Woman abused by babysitter as a child says compensation can’t fix police injustice

Woman abused by babysitter as a child – Michaela Allen, a 38-year-old woman from Caerphilly, has expressed deep frustration over the lack of justice after decades of police failures. Despite being awarded £32,000 in compensation, she claims the financial settlement fails to address the emotional toll of her abuse and the systemic errors that left her and other victims without closure. Allen’s experience highlights the ongoing struggle for accountability in cases of child sexual abuse, where police shortcomings have perpetuated a sense of injustice for years.

A seven-year-old’s testimony lost to time

In 1995, Allen recounted her trauma to her grandmother, describing how a babysitter had subjected her to abuse. Her mother immediately contacted the police, prompting an interview in which the young girl detailed the incident. She explained how the man had asked for “grown up kisses” and threatened to reveal her behavior to her parents if she refused. On the tape, she also described the act of pulling her trousers down and accurately identifying male genitalia. Her testimony, according to her mother Stephanie, was unusually detailed for a child of her age, with the officer in charge stating she had provided “the most comprehensive evidence without prior questioning.”

“The police officer in that room said she had never seen a child give such detailed evidence before,” Stephanie recalled. “There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to court.”

However, despite the clear potential for prosecution, the case was abandoned. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had instructed the police to seek parental consent for cross-examination, but this step was never taken. Over the years, Allen’s family repeatedly asked for updates, only to be met with silence from South Wales Police. The evidence tape, crucial to the case, was misplaced during the original investigation and eventually lost to the system.

A boundary shift and a delayed discovery

In 1996, a regional boundary change transferred responsibility for Caerphilly to Gwent Police. While South Wales Police had initially handled the case, the tape was later placed under Gwent’s care. By 2017, Allen attempted to reopen her case but was told the video evidence had vanished. It wasn’t until 2021, when 8,605 tapes were digitized, that her footage resurfaced. This unexpected recovery reignited her hope of confronting the alleged abuser in court, though she remained skeptical until a copy was delivered by Gwent Police.

Months later, in September 2023, the CPS informed Allen they no longer believed the suspect could be fairly tried. “But where was my fair trial?” she questioned. “It’s been really difficult to accept. I’m really struggling to let this go.” The decision left her feeling betrayed, as the police had initially dismissed her testimony and delayed the process for nearly three decades. She argued that the justice system had been given ample opportunities to correct its mistakes, yet the final outcome ensured her abuser would remain unaccounted for.

“It’s just shocking to me that they can make so many mistakes and be given so many chances to rectify it, and then they finally solidify the outcome to ensure that justice could never prevail,” Allen said.

Allen’s case is not unique. Two other alleged victims of the same perpetrator also received compensation, with payments of around £10,000 each, jointly funded by South Wales Police and Gwent Police. The discrepancy in amounts, she claims, underscores a pattern of unfair treatment. “It’s not about the money, it never has been, it’s the principle,” Allen emphasized. “They denied us closure in their failure to charge and then unfairly paid the other two victims substantially less than me, despite all being victims of the same crime and same police failures.”

The apology from both police forces, while welcomed, feels hollow to Allen. She said they had to grant her four apologies before acknowledging the evidence loss as a data breach. “That wasn’t treating me with respect or dignity,” she added. “It was trying their best to avoid accountability until the very end.” The delay in retrieving the tape, combined with the belated attribution of evidence to her, further eroded her trust in the institutions meant to protect her.

Allen’s story reveals the complexities of child abuse cases and the role of bureaucratic oversight in delaying justice. While the tape was finally recovered, the process was marred by confusion and mismanagement. Gwent Police initially claimed the evidence had been found, but it took months for the copy to arrive. By this point, the CPS had decided the case could not proceed, leaving Allen to grapple with the reality that her abuser would not face trial.

Though the compensation provides some financial relief, Allen remains determined to highlight the broader implications of the police’s negligence. She believes the lack of conviction in 1997, as advised by the CPS, should have been a turning point, but instead became a symbol of institutional failure. “We were denied our right to closure and for our abuser to be held to account,” she said. “It’s not just about one case—it’s about how the system treats victims and whether it truly prioritizes justice.”

Her experience has sparked a renewed focus on the need for transparency in police investigations and the importance of preserving evidence. While the rewards of the £32,000 payment are appreciated, Allen insists it does not mend the years of suffering or restore the confidence she once had in the justice system. For her, the fight continues—not just for her own closure, but for the recognition that every victim deserves equal treatment and the opportunity to see their abuser held accountable.