Charlene Downes: Parents of missing schoolgirl feared murdered say they are being taunted by locals

The parents of Charlene Downes, a missing schoolgirl who is feared to have been murdered and mutilated, have revealed they are being taunted by locals nearly 20 years after their daughter’s disappearance. The 14-year-old schoolgirl vanished without trace near Blackpool in 2003 and police believe she was murdered by men who’d been sexually abusing her.

Prosecutors claimed her body was cut up and minced into kebabs and her bones crushed into tile grouting with a local takeaway owner standing trial in 2007. Jurors were played taped conversations in which it was alleged the owner joked he killed the girl, that she was ‘chopped up’ and her body had ‘gone into the kebabs’.

But charges were dropped when a jury was unable to reach a verdict and a retrial was dropped after the police probe was judged to have been ‘handled unprofessionally’. Almost 20 years on from her disappearance, her parents Bob and Karen Downes say they have been mercilessly trolled and face daily abuse in the Lancashire resort.

Bob, 61, says he’s faced hostile treatment from locals after it emerged convicted sex offender Ray Munro was staying at the Downes’ home when Charlene vanished. He claims that he only found out that his ‘friend’ had pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting children three days after Charlene went missing.

But he says some people will ‘put down their drinks in protest’ when he walks into some pubs in town. And he says his ex-drinking buddies are trying to ‘get him out of Blackpool’.

Defiant Bob said: “Why should I run? Why should I hide? Why should I change my identity?”

“I can mix with anybody. I didn’t know that they were [paedophiles]. They don’t walk around with a plaque saying what they are. They’re not going to advertise the fact, are they?”

Karen revealed that one of her daughters had moved away from the seaside town because she ‘couldn’t take’ the constant taunts from locals. She also revealed she faced verbal abuse for accepting support from the British National Party.

The far-right group funded a memorial plaque for Charlene in 2011, which Karen says she was ‘very grateful’ for, but now says people unfairly brand her a racist.

She said: "They gave me hope and support for Charlene, that’s all I was interested in. People have called me fascist filth, and this and that. I’m none of that.

“I’ve never been interested in any political agenda. I would feel the same way about anybody who did something like that. I just feel as though I’m part of her when I’m here. If I left anywhere else I’d feel like I was leaving her behind.”

A unit led by Dr Kirsty Bennett, a lecturer at Leeds Trinity University, began looking into Charlene’s cold case with the couple in July this year. She will work with Ronay Crompton, from the Justice for Charlene Downes campaign, and they hope to find new evidence about the teen’s disappearance.

Ronay said of the collaboration: “Our main aim is to review Charlene’s case and see where the failings are and go out to get new evidence.

“Blackburn Uni also approached us to undertake large child sexual exploitation (CSE) project for whole of Lancashire to find out the scale of the problem, and where children are being failed.”

“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.”

Lancashire Police has been contacted for comment.