Grooming Gangs: Fiona's Story

A new podcast from Open Justice UK and Advent Media. Feminist author and campaigner Julie Bindel speaks with Fiona Goddard, who has waived anonymity, about her experience of grooming gang exploitation in the UK and the institutions that failed to protect children. This trailer introduces the series, what we investigate, and what listeners can expect in Fiona's story. Content warning: This series includes discussion of child exploitation and sexual violence. www.openjusticeuk.org X: @OPENJ_UK YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OpenJusticeUK  

In Part 1, Fiona describes her family life and childhood in Bradford, how initial contact was made, and how grooming escalated - setting out the early warning signs and the systems around her that failed to intervene. This series is presented by Julie Bindel and produced by Advent Media in collaboration with Open Justice UK. We focus on evidence-led reporting, including official records and transcripts where available, to help the public understand how this happened and what must change. Content warning: Discussion of child exploitation and sexual violence. www.openjusticeuk.org X: @OPENJ_UK YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OpenJusticeUK  

In Part 2, Fiona describes life between ages 16-18 as Bradford Council reduced her support to minimal independent living arrangements. Despite being moved to Dewsbury and then Batley, the abuse network quickly located her through family connections. She details the systematic destruction of her homes, escalating violence, drug and alcohol dependency used as control mechanisms, and the devastating physical toll - including severe liver damage by age 16-17. The episode covers her growing resistance that ultimately made her "too much trouble" for the perpetrators, the loss of her daughter to adoption despite her efforts to recover, and the moment the abuse finally stopped. Throughout, official agencies knew what was happening but failed to protect her, while the wider community blamed Fiona rather than her abusers. This series is presented by Julie Bindel and produced by Advent Media in collaboration with Open Justice UK. We focus on evidence-led reporting, including official records and transcripts where available, to help the public understand how this happened and what must change. Content warning: Discussion of child exploitation and sexual violence. www.openjusticeuk.org X: @OPENJ_UK YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OpenJusticeUK

In Part 3, Fiona describes the 2013 knock on her door from police investigating grooming gangs in Keighley and how that initial report vanished for 14 months until she took her care records to the BBC. The episode covers the eventual investigation beginning in 2014, living under witness protection measures while perpetrators remained on bail, and the 2019 trial where she gave evidence over seven days of cross-examination. Nine men received sentences ranging from 15-20 years. She explains the organized criminal networks behind the abuse, the racial element explicitly stated by perpetrators, and why this specific type of exploitation remains poorly understood. The episode concludes with reflections on institutional failures that "actively enabled" her abuse, her current stable life with her partner and five children, and her work as a grooming gang advisor with Open Justice UK. This series is presented by Julie Bindel and produced by Advent Media in collaboration with Open Justice UK. Content warning: Discussion of child exploitation and sexual violence. www.openjusticeuk.org  X: @OPENJ_UK YouTube: www.youtube.com/@OpenJusticeUK