Connect with @MaggieOLiverUK – she writes, ‘Over 10 years ago I resigned from Greater Manchester Police in disgust at what I saw. Victims failed by Senior officers, Chief Constable and ACCs in the most inhumane and unlawful of ways, feeling ashamed of my part in the process although powerless to change it, despairing of where my life would go as I walked away from a career I loved to speak the truth. It cost me dearly. In 2019 I was burnt out. But I recognised my job was far from over, as the horrors I’d seen were far worse than I could have ever imagined. I knew there was still a marathon to run, but that I could no longer tread the path alone. So I founded The Maggie Oliver Foundation not knowing the first thing about starting a charity, nor the super human effort it would take. And I’m not gonna lie….. it’s been at times draining, depressing, overwhelming, challenging, frustrating, unbelievably hard. The past months have in some ways been some of the most stressful and horrifying I’ve ever endured. But, they have contained some of the most incredible, uplifting, emotional, proud moments of my life as I watch the team that we are begin to achieve the most amazing successes for the victims and survivors of abuse who are being monumentally FAILED by police & the authorities. Knowlingly, deliberately and, in many cases, unlawfully. I can’t say much more right now, but we are built on truth, honesty, decency, principles of right and wrong, and shockingly what we see repeatedly is leaders, PSBs, Senior officers who don’t share those values. We see victims treated horrendously, the regular abuse of power & a total unwillingness to ‘back off’ when they are wrong. We’re supporting & fighting for many who are challenging the way their cases have been handled. Many wins for those victims, cases reopened, charges intended to criminalise victims being overturned & much more. We are building important links with organisations to whom we are going with our concerns which are now taken seriously & acted on with positive outcomes. And I know this would never happen without the amazing team The Maggie Oliver Foundation. An ‘A Team’ of passionate, committed, professional, dedicated & caring individuals who share my vision & passion for a fair & just society. Where those who have been let down so badly are treated with empathy, kindness & respect, not further destroyed by a system which doesn’t care & is frankly just broken & corrupt. So today I’m celebrating yet another win, for a young woman who was almost driven to take her own life by the way Greater Manchester Police treated her. She stood on a bridge a few months ago, ready to jump off when our incredible Legal Advocacy Manager reassured her & told her she wasn’t alone. And yesterday her belief in him, & our fight for her, paid off. Today she wakes up free from the 2 years torture they put her through! So happy Saturday everybody. Good can prevail over evil in the end. We just have to fight, and follow the path and never give up.
https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK/status/1725821884204277944
28th November 2023 – Progress update:
https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK/status/1729087794016870880
15th January 2024 – Today the TV news includes mention of a report that has just been published regarding the findings of Maggie Oliver and others. The link below leads to the report itself about the appalling state of child exploitation in the Rochdale area. Maggie writes via X:
‘Today has been manic! I’m still in interviews, on
@Channel4News at 7pm,
@BBCNewsnight tonight
@TalkTV and
@GBNEWS The link to the report on Rochdale commissioned by
@MayorofGM reporting on
@gmpolice is hard to find so I’m sharing it below…. It’s very illuminating but more than anything shows the truth. It’s taken 12 years but I’ll be posting more tomorrow Thankyou everyone who has emailed, called, messaged. We’re a tiny team of 5 staff and 30 volunteers but we WILL respond! Please bear with us….’
https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK/status/1746939170872811808
16th January 2024, Maggie has this to say (check out her article and people’s responses):
‘Still much more to be done, but I know with those with the power to change things doing what they must do, we can turn this around! Do they want to? Will they listen? Will they fulfil their promises? Is this PR? I’m sure you’ve seen enough of me yesterday, and I’ve seen none of it yet, but here’s a written piece from
@MENnewsdesk which is a good brief summary…. I won’t let this fade away until these changes happen! https://manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/rochdale-grooming-report-maggie-oliver-28447178.amp
https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK/status/1747158795048845585
18th January 2024 – Update from Maggie about a Sky News piece, read what Maggie says:
‘Tomorrow @SkyNews will be airing a programme they have made relating to just one survivor trapped in this system that we have been supporting for many months, in fact almost 2 years! She made the brave decision that she wished to speak out publicly about the police complaints procedure being unfit for purpose, how it’s treated her and she wanted to completely waive her anonymity, despite her fear of retaliation. This fear is very real, and is based on the journey she has trodden to this place. It is knowing of multiple cases like this one that made me highlight this at the press conference when I spoke on Monday, and precisely why I want to see systemic change to a system which just does not work, and which is not by any stretch of the imagination independent! It does not give a victim any place to go when they have been failed or treated inhumanely, which is why many approach @TMOFCharity for help in navigating a system as they try to get justice… This is not about individuals in the @policeconduct who have their hands completely tied by the system. It is about the way it’s been set up to protect the police from true independent scrutiny of any kind! Airing on @SkyNews tomorrow.
Thankyou @JasonFarrellSky @LizLaneSky and @Sarahcoconnell for never giving up on these stories! You’ve stuck with it (and us!) through thick and thin, and now have a deep understanding of all the issues involved, and that makes all the difference in informing the country of the reality of just how much #victims are failed every day. A must listen for a everyone who shares my belief that we urgently need to change this system, where police are in truth ‘marking their own homework’, in exactly the same way as @PostOffice did as was exposed clearly in the recent @ITV drama…… I agreed with @AndyBurnhamGM on Monday when he said we need a duty of #candour and #honesty, which is what I’ve said for 12 years, because right now that is not happening. More interested in limiting reputational damage than improving this broken public service.‘
https://twitter.com/MaggieOliverUK/status/1748088479366443459
