A POLICE investigation into two men who raped and abused under-age girls was inadequate, The Argus can reveal.

No action was taken against the men after an investigation in 2012 and in the next two years one went on to abuse two other girls.

Osmon Koroma and Max N'Gasa have been convicted of a string of offences against 12 teenage girls aged 13 to 15, between 2010 and 2014.

Today we can reveal an officer is under investigation for the initial investigation up to 2012, which was described by chief constable Giles York as inadequate in a scrutiny meeting.

Following a six-week trial, Koroma, a labourer, 31, of Norton Road, Hove, was convicted of eight offences against five girls – one rape, two sexual assaults and five counts of sexual activity with a child.

N’Gasa, a gardener, 25, of Cranmer Avenue, Hove, was convicted of 10 offences against seven girls – two counts of rape and eight counts of sexual activity with a child.

The Argus can reveal:

  • One detective sergeant faces a gross misconduct investigation over the case and a serious case review is being held
  • Sussex Police’s chief constable criticised the investigation but his comments were not noted in meeting minutes
  • There was a three-year gap between police being told about allegations and the men being arrested
  • Police told court they cannot remember if they left a child slumped on a sofa at a party
  • School vice-principal ordered not to mention drugs allegation on witness stand
  • Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne welcomed conviction but did not acknowledge of doubts over initial case.

The majority of the offences took place between 2010 and 2012, while two of the victims were abused in 2014. The girls were aged between 13 and 15.

Lewes Crown Court heard how the two men groomed the girls by buying them cigarettes and alcohol before inviting them up to Koroma’s then flat in Wick Parade, Littlehampton.

Sussex Police first received an allegation about the men in March 2012, with further allegations that year including from a victim’s vice-principal at Littlehampton Academy in October 2012.

Officers spoke to victims as well as Koroma and N’Gasa, but did not find enough evidence to make arrests or bring charges.

Giles York, chief constable of Sussex Police, told the police and crime commissioner in October last year when the charges were finally brought against the pair: “In the absolute spirit of transparency that I have signed up to, this is a case that first came to light in about 2012, some three years ago.

“And it was only as a result of reviewing our initial response that was inadequate, that we came through and built up this second investigation.”

DCI Miles Ockwell, who took over the case in 2014, said the victims were not willing to give statements when the case was first investigated in 2012.

He said: “I just think that the girls did not feel confident to give that evidence at the time. Hopefully, we are better now than we are in 2012 about dealing with these type of offences.”

The Argus heard evidence in court from parents of two of the victims, who said they recalled their children telling police about the allegations in 2012.

The vice-principal, Heather Ward, contacted police again in the summer of 2014 after becoming concerned about a new group of girls hanging around Wick Parade and getting involved with Koroma and N’Gasa.

Police looked at the case again that summer but again did not find enough evidence to bring charges.

The force then reviewed the case in the autumn of 2014 in the wake of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal and started the investigation that led to the pair being arrested and charged last year.

The force also referred itself to the Independent Police Complaints Commission over the case.

The watchdog referred the case back to the force to carry out the gross misconduct investigation into the detective sergeant, which is ongoing.

Giving evidence in court, Ms Ward started telling jurors about one student’s allegation that she had been drug-running for the men, but the jury was sent out and the teacher was asked not to mention drugs.

Police said they investigated but found no evidence the men dealt drugs.

PC Russell Tomlinson and Nicholas Steer told the court they had been called to an out-of-control party in 2011, where a girl was found slumped on the sofa inebriated.

The girl later reported N’Gasa had tried to sexually assault her at the party but he was cleared of this.

Both officers told the court they could not recall whether they took her home, but did not think they would have left her there given her vulnerability.

Yesterday when asked about the girl mentioned in court a force spokesman said “two police officers did take one of the girls home from a party on one occasion”.

“While it may be sensible to record this information they committed no disciplinary offence by not doing so,” he added.

A serious case review has been opened into all agencies’ handling of the case.

The chief constable’s comments were broadcast online but not recorded in the minutes of the meeting. The PCC’s office said the minutes were “not verbatim”.

Koroma and N’Gasa denied all the charges.

LAWYER COMPARED SCHOOL TO ST TRINIAN’S

OSMON Koroma’s lawyer tried to persuade jurors that the girls had been “carried away by the rumour factory” at their school in making their allegations.

Gregory Bull QC compared the Littlehampton Academy to the fictional school St Trinian’s, known for its unruly schoolgirls, as he maintained his client had nothing to do with such offences.

But the jury was not convinced, unanimously convicting Koroma, 31, of Norton Road, Hove, and his friend Max N’Gasa, 25, of Cranmer Avenue Hove, of sexual offences against a total of 12 girls.

Some of those girls who took to the witness stand at Lewes Crown Court had first reported the behaviour in 2012 to police and their school, but did not seen their abusers arrested for about three years.

The spectre of the Rotherham scandal that rocked South Yorkshire in 2014, with many child sex abuse victims ignored, was a key reason for their allegations being re-explored.

DCI Miles Ockwell, who started working on the case in 2014, said: “We were reviewing our procedures around child sexual exploitation at the time, as most people were because of the Rotherham report, and colleagues from children’s social care [in the council] raised the 2012 report.”

What that review unearthed is now the subject of a serious case review and a gross misconduct investigation, and the force’s chief constable acknowledging the 2012 investigation was “inadequate” suggests police and other agencies have serious questions to answer.

DCI Miles Ockwell stressed the girls had been believed in 2012, saying the investigation failed because they did not want to give formal statements.

He said two girls who had spoken to police in 2012 had given “limited accounts of what happened” but did not give a statement or video interviews and it was “difficult to get corroborative evidence” in such cases.

He said: “It is quite normal in terms of child sexual exploitation – the victims at the time don’t see themselves as victims, and even if they did it can be they do not want to engage with the police and other agencies.”

He added: “But of course then having revisited them when they were grown up, most have moved on and left school and they can look back on what happened and start recognising why what happened was not correct.”

He acknowledged it was part of the police’s role to get victims confident enough to give evidence, but stressed at the time they did not want to engage further.

He added: “When we did the review one of the main elements for us was how do we approach the girls in a supportive way to make sure that they feel confident, and could we have done that in 2012? Could we have done better in the way we approached the girls?

“Possibly, and absolutely I am the first to say we always need to improve and four years down the line I hope we are better.”

Sussex Police said in a statement that the case “illustrates the complex challenges” of investigating sexual abuse, and highlighted “great strides made” in tackling such cases, with more work being done.

PROSECUTION AVOIDED “ANY HEROIN AND CRACK COCAINE” LINKS TO CASE

GIVING evidence at Lewes Crown Court, Heather Ward, vice principal at Littlehampton Academy, was asked about a meeting in October 2012 with a student who was very upset. 

“She was in a distressed state and wanted to explain the circumstances of what had led up to her being in that state and wanted to seek help,” she said.

Ms Ward said the girl had spoken about “Ossie and Maxie” as well as a third man in Wick Parade, and started saying: “She told me that she had been acting as a drug-runner for the three men.”

At that point Max N’Gasa’s defence lawyer, Nadine Radford, objected and the jury was asked to leave court. 

Ms Radford said she had agreed with the prosecution that the alleged drug comment would not be mentioned.

The prosecution’s junior barrister, Chris Stimpson, said he was “avoiding any heroin and crack cocaine reference”, adding “cannabis is all over this case.” 

Ms Radford said she was concerned that they stuck to the matters under consideration, adding she hoped Ms Ward’s mention of the alleged comment would “fade into the mists” for the jury. 

Judge Jeremy Gold QC agreed Ms Ward should not mention the drugs allegation, telling her: “None of this is your fault.”

Police said they investigated but found no evidence the men were dealing drugs. 

The Crown Prosecution Service said the complainant denied having made the comment about drug-running when she was interviewed on video. 

A spokesman added: “Drugs charges were not considered in respect of this information because the complainant herself made no complaint of being used as a runner and there was therefore no direct evidence upon which to base charges.”

There was insufficient evidence to charge the third man, she added.  The court was told that one of the girls took cocaine and cannabis before being abused on one occasion. 

CRIME CHIEF FAILS TO MENTION CRITICISMS OF FORCE

POLICE and crime commissioner Katy Bourne welcomed the convictions of the two men and said Sussex Police were “getting better” at bringing sexual abusers to justice.

She did not mention the chief constable’s criticisms over the first allegations, or the ongoing gross misconduct investigation faced by a detective sergeant’s handling of the case.  But she said police and partners “still need to improve their understanding and overall response to child sexual exploitation.”

She added: “Allegations and reports must be handled better with quicker information sharing and earlier intervention where appropriate,” and welcomed the serious case review. 

Asked about the doubts over the first case, and why she had not mentioned them, Mrs Bourne’s office said yesterday: “In cases like this, it is very likely that all the agencies involved will be able to look back and see where their response could have been better.

“In her statement yesterday welcoming the conviction, the PCC was very clear that overall awareness and understanding and handling of child sexual exploitation cases needs to improve.

“Mrs Bourne also welcomed the Serious Case Review into the Koroma and Ngasa case which will involve the police but it would not be appropriate to comment in advance of this comprehensive review taking place.

“The PCC was made aware of the conduct investigation concerning an officer involved in the case, but as this is currently ongoing and the internal operational responsibility of the chief constable, she is unable to comment at present.”