Operation Linden executive summary (plain text format) - June 2022
Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.
All IOPC reports
- Published
- 2022-06-01
- Investigation type
- independent
- Force involved
- South Yorkshire Police
What was investigated
The IOPC conducted independent investigations into South Yorkshire Police’s handling of reports related to non-recent child sexual abuse and exploitation in Rotherham from 1997 to 2013, prompted by complaints and allegations from survivors.
Key findings
- 265 allegations were investigated.
- 43 allegations were upheld.
- 8 cases to answer for misconduct were identified.
- 6 cases to answer for gross misconduct were identified.
- 14 officers showed unsatisfactory performance or received management words of advice.
- Failures in recording and investigating incidents were noted.
- Professional curiosity was lacking among officers.
- Insufficient multi-agency collaboration was found.
Outcome
The investigation resulted in several misconduct findings and numerous recommendations for improved practices within South Yorkshire Police.
Related on BlueLineHub
- Accountability hub — how oversight of UK policing works
- IOPC outcomes & learning feed
- South Yorkshire Police force profile
Reviewed by the BlueLineHub Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 13 July 2026 · Next review due: 13 January 2027
This is a factual summary of a report published by the Independent Office for Police Conduct. Individuals are referred to exactly as the source report anonymises them. BlueLineHub is independent and not affiliated with the IOPC · Summarised 2026-07-13.