Disappearance of Charlene Downes
2003 disappearance in England / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Charlene Elizabeth Caroline Downes (born 25 March 1989) disappeared on 1 November 2003, when she was 14, from her home town of Blackpool, a seaside town in north-west England. Downes was last seen in an area of the town centre that contained several takeaway and fast-food units. Lancashire Constabulary, the police force investigating her disappearance, believe that she was murdered within hours of the last sighting.[5][dead link]
Charlene Downes | |
---|---|
Born | (1989-03-25)25 March 1989[1] |
Disappeared | 1 November 2003 (aged 14) Blackpool, Lancashire, England |
Status | Missing for 20 years, 6 months and 21 days Presumed deceased |
Died | c. (2003-11-01)1 November 2003 |
Nationality | British |
Description | White, 155 cm (5 ft 1 in), slim, straight shoulder-length brown hair, blue eyes[3] |
Parents |
|
Website | www |
Reward | £100,000[4][dead link] |
Two men were tried in May 2007—one for Downes' murder, the other for helping to dispose of her body—but the jury failed to reach a verdict. A re-trial was scheduled, but in April 2008 the accused were released because of concerns about the evidence compiled by Lancashire Constabulary.[6]
The trials brought to light what Julie Bindel described in The Guardian in May 2008 as "endemic child sexual abuse" in the town.[7] The police believe that, for a protracted period before her disappearance, Downes had been the victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of one or more men.[7][8] They interviewed 3,000 people and found that she and other girls in the area had been "swapping sex for food, cigarettes and affection",[7] a form of child sexual exploitation known as localised grooming. It is thought that 60 local girls may have been targeted.[9]
On 1 August 2017, a 51-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murdering Downes and was released two days later. He is no longer under investigation.[10][11] A £100,000 reward remains on offer for information leading to the conviction of her killer(s) or the recovery of her body.[5][12]