Operation Linden - June 2022
Factual summary of a published IOPC investigation, covering the incident, key findings and outcome.
- Published
- 2022-06-01
- Investigation type
- independent
- Force involved
- South Yorkshire Police
What was investigated
The IOPC investigated complaints and conduct matters related to South Yorkshire Police’s handling of reports of non-recent child sexual abuse and exploitation in Rotherham from 1997 to 2013. This comprehensive investigation aimed to uncover systemic issues in police practice and ensure accountability for past failings, focusing on the experiences of survivors.
Key findings
- Officers lacked awareness of CSA/E offenses.
- Survivors were not always believed or supported.
- SYP's response to disclosures was inadequate.
- Systemic issues impacted policing effectiveness.
- Recommendations made to improve practices were made to SYP.
- Leadership in SYP failed to prioritize CSA/E issues effectively.
- A significant number of recorded incidents went unaddressed.
- Training for officers was often insufficient regarding CSA/E.
Outcome
The investigation upheld multiple complaints against SYP regarding their handling of CSA/E cases. Key recommendations were issued to SYP, and the investigation sought to foster systemic changes to prevent future failings.
Related on BlueLineHub
- Accountability hub — how oversight of UK policing works
- IOPC outcomes & learning feed
- South Yorkshire Police force profile
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.