639. "Police Told My Mum To Be GLAD" - Fiona Goddard

Fiona Goddard shares her harrowing experience of being groomed, trafficked, and abused by a network of Pakistani men from age 13, while the police and social services failed to act despite knowing about the abuse for years. She recounts how she was placed in hotel accommodations owned by the perpetrators, blamed for her own abuse, and subjected to extreme violence, coercion, and psychological manipulation. The episode exposes systemic failures, including a 14-month delay in submitting critical intelligence, racialized dismissiveness from call operators who told her mother not to describe perpetrators as 'Asian' due to 'racism,' and a culture of silence within communities fearing backlash like the 2001 Bradford riots. Fiona also discusses the ongoing trauma, the lack of support from political figures like Jess Phillips, and the dangerous normalization of abuse through political correctness and multiculturalism. Despite this, she has become a vocal advocate, publicly sharing her records and speaking at events to educate communities and push for justice. Her resilience is rooted in the unwavering support of her grandmother, who defied the system to protect her. Fiona emphasizes that while abuse affects children of all backgrounds, the disproportionate impact on certain communities demands honest investigation, not denial.