'I've got a criminal record because of him': Rotherham CSE survivor's pain as alleged abuser dies before trial

"This is my chance to speak," said the woman, now coming to terms with the fact her alleged abuser will not face criminal proceedings, "I won't have that chance anymore in court."

"I never knew him under his real name," she said, "I knew him as Sonny Singh-Bal."

Hemenderjit 'Sonny' Singh-Bal died on August 15, 2023, having been charged in 2022, accused of abusing four teenage girls between 1996 and 1999. His list of charges included rape, indecent assault, false imprisonment and assault - but he died before he could stand trial.

"I am one of his victims" said the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, adding: "When he died, I felt angry and upset. I felt cheated... I am still angry. I have waited two decades."

She said Singh-Bal abused her in 1999, whilst she was pregnant with her first child.

"From the moment he would have been found guilty, I would have gone from a victim to a survivor... I know I am a survivor, but it leaves that question mark for people to say 'you've lied'.

"I can never get justice because he is dead. He will never stand trial."

Singh-Bal was charged in 2022, as part of Operation Stovewood, 22 years after this woman reported him to South Yorkshire Police.

"It was reported in 2000. Nothing was done by South Yorkshire Police. It was NFA'd," she said.

South Yorkshire Police also reportedly "NFA'd" (No Further Action) her second report over Singh-Bal's alleged abuse in 2003. It wasn't until the National Crime Agency launched Operation Stovewood and she reported him to them, that he was eventually charged.

"He affected my whole life," she said, "I have got a criminal record because of him. There is no getting away from him. It impacts the rest of my life."

In a June 2023 report, Barnardo's, the UK's largest childrens charity, found victims of Child Sexual Exploitation and Child Criminal Exploitation in the UK are "often still blamed and criminalised", rather than being appropriately safeguarded, due to their "behaviour" and "risky actions".

The woman who has spoken with The Star said she served an immediate sentence spanning months in prison due to charges that arose from her exploitation.

The lack of understanding about the hidden and secretive nature of exploitation means child victims can find themselves prosecuted.

When applying for jobs, employers have asked about her criminal record - forcing her to explain, reliving the trauma every time, again and again.

She has had that record over the last two decades, whilst Singh-Bal was only charged with abusing her 23 years later.

"I was pregnant when it happened. When I was pregnant with my second child it brought back so much bad stuff."

"There is no justice," she said, "where do I go from now?"

Detective Chief Inspector Gary Magnay, South Yorkshire Police lead for child sexual exploitation (CSE), said: “Exploitation of children, in all of its forms, is abhorrent and tackling it is a high priority for the force.

“The force has publicly recognised its past failings in terms of its response to child sexual exploitation, and our understanding of this type of offending has developed considerably since the publication of the Jay Report in 2014.

“The way we deal with CSE has greatly improved, with our response shaped by listening to the experience of survivors of this horrific crime, and the most recent report by HMICFRS in January 2023 found South Yorkshire Police to be ‘outstanding’ at protecting vulnerable people. While this is a fantastic achievement, we know that there is always more to do and our commitment to safeguarding victims of exploitation has not in any way diminished.”

The National Crime Agency confirmed Singh-Bal died in a statement to The Star last week. They charged him with abusing four teenage girls, aged between 16 and 19, between 1996 and 1999. They also confirmed 'Sonny' was a known alias of his

Following his death, an NCA spokesperson said the agency was "providing the necessary support to the victims in this case" and prosecutors are taking the necessary steps to withdraw the case from criminal proceedings.

Mr Singh-Bal would have stood trial in February 2024, after his day in court was repeatedly postponed due to "ill-health".

The NCA’s Operation Stovewood is the single largest law enforcement investigation into non-familial child sexual abuse (CSA) in the UK, with officers investigating allegations of offences in and around Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

The top level investigation was launched in response to an independent report by Professor Alexa Jay, who was asked to look at the issue of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham and discovered that 1,400 children had been abused by men of predominantly Pakistani heritage over a 16-year period while those in authority failed to act.

South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council were criticised for their failings.

In 2022, the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), found “significant failures” by SOuth Yorkshire Police, which investigators found was “not ready at that time to deal with the nature and scale of the problem in Rotherham.”

The report, which was published following the IOPC's Operation Linden, revealed that no officers lost their jobs as a result of the process.

When the report was published, South Yorkshire Police issued an apology to survivors, adding that all of the recommendations made have been “accepted and progressed”.

If you have concerns about child exploitation, or if you think you are being exploited, please report it to South Yorkshire Police so they can help. You can report by calling 101, or going online to use our live chat or online portal. There are a number of agencies who can provide support if you do not want to talk to police. You can find details on their webpage here - https://www.southyorkshire.police.uk/find-out/stop-exploitation/