An officer from the police watchdog revealed the full name of a former officer who was under investigation for grooming gang abuse, GB News can reveal.

The mistake was later cited in a decision to release the suspect from police bail without him facing any further action.

Elizabeth, not her real name, is speaking out about this ordeal for the first time.

In March, she gave a report to the police about one of her abusers who she said kept her in a flat for 10 weeks in 2004.

Elizabeth said that the man was nicknamed ‘PC’ by other abusers in the rape den, which she realised this year meant he was likely a police officer, referring to his position as a police constable.

She made a police complaint about the incident after two other former police constables were arrested on suspicion of similar offences in late 2024.

The suspect in Elizabeth’s case was arrested within seven days of her police interview.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct was involved in the investigation due to the suspect’s professional background.

But during interactions between Elizabeth and the IOPC, one of its investigators revealed the suspect’s full name to her.

This information is likely to have an impact on a police investigation as it could affect upcoming ID procedures and therefore the prospects of the case resulting in a conviction.

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Through her solicitor, Elizabeth made a complaint about the incident to the IOPC, which upheld the complaint and issued an apology.

In the apology to the victim, the IOPC said that its officer “did not mean to cause any harm and did not believe she was disclosing information you were not aware of, she should have been more mindful of … the impact on you.”

The letter also notes that the investigator immediately informed South Yorkshire Police (SYP) about the mistake.

It said that “SYP are going to liaise with the CPS to gauge their views, the IOPC will work closely with both agencies to address the concerns you have rightly raised.”

But less than a month after this complaint was upheld, SYP officers investigating her complaint called Elizabeth in to explain that they would no longer be seeking charges against the suspect.

Listing the several factors explaining their decision to release the suspect, the SYP letter pointed to how there was “no mention of the perpetrator being named [his name] in any previously recorded notes or interviews until your most recent interview.”

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The letter does not mention that Elizabeth only knew the suspect’s name before that interview because the IOPC had given it to her.

GB News has been aware of the error and its impact on the investigation for several months but agreed not to publish the information so as to not affect criminal proceedings.

However, with the officer now no longer facing action, the People’s Channel can now reveal the mistake that contributed to the former officer being released and taken off bail.

Elizabeth’s solicitor David Greenwood told GB News that the force had lost the trust of victims, which has been further worsened by its “poor treatment” of women like Elizabeth.

Greenwood, the head of the child abuse compensation team at law firm Switalskis, said: “SYP resisted an investigation into allegations of criminality for years despite my requests The poor treatment of Elizabeth and others suggests an unwillingness to honestly investigate criminal activity within South Yorkshire Police.”

He called on another force to take over the investigation.

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“Trust in the force from victims of childhood abuse is non existent. This is a barrier to them making complaints and another force taking over this crucial investigation would undoubtedly encourage women to speak out about unlawful conduct of South Yorkshire police officers.”

In a statement, an IOPC spokesperson said: “During the investigation, one of the victim-survivors was given information by the IOPC that should not have been disclosed.

“The victim-survivor made a complaint that we upheld and we have apologised to them for this mistake.

“We have since contacted this individual and offered to meet with them to discuss any further concerns they may have about the investigation.

“We are confident the information disclosed has neither affected the key decisions made in the criminal investigation to date, nor will affect any future decisions.

“As this is an active criminal investigation, it’s not appropriate at this stage to discuss specific details about the investigation or the decisions made.”

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In a statement, South Yorkshire Police’s Assistant Chief Constable Hayley Barnett said: “We are acutely aware of how profoundly difficult, if not impossible, it must be for a victim survivor in a case of this nature to feel confident and reassured in the process when their reports are being investigated by a force they associate with harm they have suffered, even with independent oversight.

“For this reason, we have been having conversations at the highest level with the National Crime Agency, and the IOPC, for many months to ensure victim survivors, and their wishes, are truly at the heart of the criminal justice process.

“Our detectives, under the direction of the IOPC, have always taken prompt action when they have received information linked to this investigation, including information from solicitors.

“The enquiries carried out have been extensive and complex, and we have worked hard, and without fear or favour, to obtain relevant information from third parties in our pursuit for justice. When material has not been made immediately available to us by solicitors, we have used court orders to obtain the level of detail required to progress our investigation.”