‘Real’ podcast, “what happened to Charlene Downes?”

[Kimchie]

With the grooming gang scandals coming to the forefront again recently I re-listened to this podcast by Naomi Chanell.
All episodes are very well done, victim focussed not sensationalist at all so I would recommend it.
The series about Charlene features Julie Bindel talking about her reporting about cse in Blackpool.
There was a small detail I had missed last time I listened, Charlene’s father Robert Downes, as well as being friends with and inviting peadophiles to live in the home with his children, was also a cross dresser.
Charlene has never been found and no one has faced justice for her disappearance or murder.
There is a £100’000 reward for information which secures a conviction or leads to the recovery of Charlene’s remains.

Please could you link the podcast?

This is episode 2, for some reason number 1 didn't come up in my search.

Contacts are out and I'm squinting to find link to 1 😄

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/real-presents-ep2-what-happened-to-charlene-downes/id1616514570?i=1000633289151

Ah here it is. Wow 10 parts

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/real-presents-ep1-what-happened-to-charlene-downes/id1616514570?i=1000633289208

Thanks WarriorN

Thank you for the recommendation. I found the 'Real' podcast after a poster on a subreddit declared that they would never listen to it because NC is 'a 'orrible old terf' (I think the accusation stemmed from association, rather than anything she particularly said or did) so obviously, it had the opposite effect on me and off I went to find it.

(I use Reddit for the podcast subreddits to get recommendations and for mobile games, so generally it stays quite mild)

Does anyone have a Spotify link at all?

Thank you, I had heard about this case years ago, but didn’t know there was a podcast.

I will be listening to this.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1u3tre34v4DdWjA7S6vQ0u

For those without Apple or Spotify, I use the Podcast Addict app. I used RadioNet previously but it didn't work as well in my car as PA does.

Perfect thank you @ShamblesRock

I was coming back to say all episodes are free to download on spotify, but I see pp have already linked.

This story has helped me understand the appeal of older men to these young girls. The mother worked evenings so mealtimes must have been very random. If the father was scarcely working and indulging his nefarious activities then I'm guessing Charlene and her sisters were particularly looking for places where they will get fed. It sounds like a small point but if the father isn't up to his role then the woman has to work, the house is neglected and the children become opportunities for predators. Sorry if this sounds obvious but I hadn't thought of food being a driving force before; nor the new (ish) sexist home model.

Lots of mothers work, that doesn’t mean their homes are neglected or their children are at risk.
The mother was handing out fliers for a take away not a full time job likely only a couple of hours a night, not really an excuse not to feed your children properly.
The reason these girls (Charlene and her sister) in particular were gravitating towards and being predated on by older men is because they had been groomed and abused by the parents.
If you actually listen to the podcast you will understand that the mother working had very little if anything to do with what happened, I find it offensive to working mothers that anyone would take away or try to make this a point at all.

Thanks to everyone who posted links, I should have done it but couldn’t work out how to.