KILLED FOR KEBAB MEAT – True Crime Documentary

This case is a complex one with many people involved, many lines of inquiry, and more questions than answers. Although the case we are talking about today took place in Blackpool in the northwest of England, our story actually begins in the Midland city of Coventry. Coventry is a remarkable city with an extraordinary past, notable for its cathedral that was bombed during the Second World War, as were huge swaves of the city. The spirit of the people and the determination to rebuild meant that Coventry was named as a city of peace and reconciliation. It put its mark on the musical map too, being the center of the music phenomenon that swept through the 70s, “2-Tone,” with bands like The Specials seeing considerable success. Our story begins in 1989 when, on the 25th of March, Karen Downs and her husband Robert, known as Bob, welcomed their daughter, Charlene. Charlene was their third child; she had two older sisters, Rebecca, known as Becky, and Emma. Charlene was later followed by the youngest of the Downs’ children and the only son, Robert. Charlene was described as a music and animal lover, someone who was close to her siblings with a cheeky and funny side. Bob and Karen had married on the 2nd of May 1987 at a church in Hillfields, just north of Coventry City Center. Hillfields is one of the more deprived areas of the city with antisocial behavior and crime being common problems. Life in the Downs household could be described as chaotic or dysfunctional, and run-ins with the police and social services would happen. Those who knew the couple made allegations that Bob was addicted to alcohol and could show serious levels of violence and aggression towards his children. A court document from 1989 showed that the family had been under investigation by social services and West Midlands Police and it was found that a convicted rapist had had three-year-old Emma in their car without supervision and had also been in the Downs family home. Bob was given the advice that the person in question should not be allowed into the family home again, but this didn’t happen, and Bob continued to have drinks with the individual in the pub. The police conducted a video interview with Emma in the hope it would unveil something more, but she disclosed nothing. She would later move out of the family home, and in 1993 moved in with her grandfather and his wife. After Emma moved back to the family home in 1997, allegations of sexual assault were made against a family friend, allegations also made by Charlene. The friend was allegedly trusted by the family to take the children to school in the morning, and a report from social services states that it was believed Karen and Bob were aware of the abuse but failed to act. When Charlene was 9 years old, an allegation was made that a friend of her parents had forced themselves on her. Now, at the risk of the children being removed from the home and taken into the care of social services and the potential prosecution for neglect, in 1999 the family moved out of Coventry and up north to Blackpool.

For many, Blackpool brings back memories of the illuminations, arcades, and ice creams on the beach during the day. The piers, promenade, and beach are full of tourists looking for some time away. Home to the Blackpool Tower and the Tower Ballroom, many a famous face has performed in the town, everyone from Frank Sinatra to The Beatles. Thousands of people visit Blackpool every year during the summer months and tourist season, especially for the illuminations switch-on. But behind the bright lights lies a very different town. A large proportion of those who live there live in deprived areas, and it is the sixth most deprived authority in England. There are high amounts of unemployment, and the death rate of those who die from alcohol-related deaths is the highest in England. There are also high levels of poverty, and the town is the 12th poorest area in the whole country. As concerns over the welfare of the children continued to grow, Charlene, Emma, and Becky were placed in foster care after they said they no longer wanted to be at home. This placement did not last for an extended period of time, and the children were returned to the house in 1999. Becky Downs alleged that her father was violent, and social services said they were going to take it to court to try and obtain a prosecution. By the end of 1999, the children were put on the “at risk” register, and it was reported that domestic violence was present in the home. One of Charlene’s friends, Martin, said he not only saw Bob’s violence but also predators at the Downs’ house. By early 2000, at the age of 11, Charlene was staying at different homes and told the workers from social services that she was being beaten by her parents, showing them bruises.

In March of that year, Charlene’s school began to raise concerns that she was failing to attend classes and wasn’t coming to school. Her parents said they didn’t know where she was as she stayed with many different people. A few months later, in June, Charlene was examined by the hospital, and based on what it found, it was suspected that she was the victim of sexual abuse. She made the allegation that her father had become violent and thrown her across the room. Following this, she disappeared for 2 days. Over the course of a 12-month period, Charlene would make 13 visits to a sexual health clinic with her grandmother. She had bruising on her body, including her inner thigh. Social services spoke to Bob about their concerns that Emma had been seen with older men in the family home, and Bob later moved out to appease those from social services. He moved to Buchanan Street in September and took Charlene and her brother Robert out of the care of social services and against the wishes of the authorities. As 2001 rolled around, social services suspected that a male was in the family home and sharing a bed with Charlene. In April of that year, there were more allegations made by Becky and Charlene regarding Bob’s excessive drinking and the men he used to bring to the house, and the inappropriate sexual advances these men would make. Charlene allegedly told a social worker that one of her father’s friends had touched her inappropriately. When health visitors made a visit to the family home in August, Charlene was found in bed with a much older man as she counted some money, but Bob and Karen said he was just a family friend. One month later, Becky would move out. Over a period of 15 years, 16 men who had committed a variety of offenses against minors had access to the family homes both in Coventry and in Blackpool. Bob and Karen denied letting predators stay at their home. Bob would drink at various pubs in and around Blackpool. During one of his visits to the pub, he met a man called Ray Monroe and he invited him back to the house. Ray Monroe would end up staying at the property. Monroe is a convicted sex offender with four counts of sexual assaults against young girls and he was sentenced to 4 and 1/2 years in prison. Karen and Bob said they were unaware of this and only found out when the details came out in court. They said they believed he had raped an ex-girlfriend, information which did not stop…

Days without charge, and no charges have ever been filed against him in relation to Charlene’s disappearance. In November 2018, Bob and Karen appeared on the Jeremy Kyle Show, a controversial British talk show where guests would appear to resolve conflicts, take lie detector tests, and DNA tests. There would be frequent confrontations and arguments on stage. Bob Downs later said they had appeared on the show to discuss Charlene’s case, but it quickly devolved into talking about their marriage and marital problems. Also that year, Karen Downs released a book called Sold in Secret, talking about Charlene and her disappearance.

In 2021, Charlene’s brother, Robert, tragically passed away. He was found in a pool of blood by Bob on the 4th of December at 11:30 p.m. A few hours before, he had complained he felt unwell. His family said he had been left deeply affected by the disappearance of his sister and had never been able to properly process or recover from it. At an inquest, it was ruled he had died of an accidental drug overdose. It also came out that Bob and Karen did not call the ambulance for 3 hours. They said after finding him they had fallen into a state of panic and anxiety. The ambulance wasn’t called until nearly 3:00 in the morning. In November the following year, Charlene’s friend, Tina, died at the age of 32. An inquest found her death was drug-related. In 2023, the case was reopened by the Leeds Trinity University Cold Case unit teamed up with Renee in the hopes of finally solving Charlene’s case. Renee said:

“Our main aim is to review Charlene’s case and see where the failings are and go out to get new evidence.”

Blackpool Uni also approached us to undertake a large child sexual exploitation project for the whole of Lancashire to find out the scale of the problem and where children are being failed.

Bob and Karen said they have been verbally abused and taunted by locals after it came out that Ray Monroe and other predators had stayed at their house. Bob again asserted he didn’t know Ray Monroe was a pedophile. They remain living in Blackpool. Unfortunately, Charlene’s story is not unique; there are a plethora of young people who constantly fall through the cracks, and the people that should be there to catch them aren’t. An internal police report would state that 11 takeaway shops in Blackpool town center have been involved in sexually exploiting young girls, as reported by the BBC. The Times newspaper conducted an investigation that found the police initially had 100 people of interest due to how many people were believed to be abusing and exploiting Charlene. And that brings us to today. Today marks the 20th anniversary of Charlene’s disappearance and there are still more questions than answers. The investigation into what happened to her is one of the longest-running in Lancashire, with 2 and a half thousand statements being taken and more than 3,000 people being spoken to. This is about getting justice for a 14-year-old girl. She was someone who had already gone through so much in such a short period of time, and the least we can do is continue to fight for her. As Renee said:

“Charlene was failed by everyone that should have kept her safe. The police, social services; they all let her down. We’re trying to build a legacy and fight for real justice for her so she can be remembered for something positive. It is our hope that those who know more will come forward with the truth. Her whereabouts will finally be made known and justice will be served. If you have any information relating to the disappearance or whereabouts of Charlene Downs, please contact Lancashire Police.”