Charlene Downes, 14, vanished in 2003 from Blackpool leaving her family and town with no answers.
She was reduced to being 'kebab girl' - a salacious story that became an obstacle in finding the truth about her disappearance. Nicola Thorp's podcast series aims to clear up speculation around her case, focusing on police failures and racist narratives that have clouded it over the years.
Thorp has worked as a temp for PwC where she was sent home for refusing to wear high heels; she started a petition which more than 150,000 people signed. She is an advocate of women's rights and recently campaigned against sexist dress requirements in the workplace. Her personal experience with stalking also fuels her determination to shed light on Charlene's case.
Charlene lived less than a mile from Nicola Thorp but never met. The poster plastered around the town featured her school photo, prompting some to look for an 11-year-old girl instead of a 14-year-old. Class and social status likely played into the investigation, with police describing Charlene as a 'runaway' rather than a potential victim of abuse.
A £100,000 reward is in place for information leading to a conviction. The two men initially tried in 2007 have been retried but their trial collapsed due to "grave doubts" over evidence. Thorp believes the true story behind Charlene's disappearance is being obscured by sensationalist media coverage and far-right rhetoric.
Thorp met with her father, Robert Downes, for her podcast and described him as someone who could have stopped the abuse Charlene faced at home. The investigation also highlighted racist narratives around takeaways in Blackpool where a group of men were accused of sexually exploiting young girls.
In an effort to uncover new evidence, Thorp interviewed women who had been groomed at the time of Charlene's disappearance and revealed their experiences with police who threatened them if they didn't testify against the alleged perpetrators.
The podcast sheds light on the complex web of factors surrounding Charlene Downes' tragic fate and the need for justice and reform in handling missing persons cases.
She was reduced to being 'kebab girl' - a salacious story that became an obstacle in finding the truth about her disappearance. Nicola Thorp's podcast series aims to clear up speculation around her case, focusing on police failures and racist narratives that have clouded it over the years.
Thorp has worked as a temp for PwC where she was sent home for refusing to wear high heels; she started a petition which more than 150,000 people signed. She is an advocate of women's rights and recently campaigned against sexist dress requirements in the workplace. Her personal experience with stalking also fuels her determination to shed light on Charlene's case.
Charlene lived less than a mile from Nicola Thorp but never met. The poster plastered around the town featured her school photo, prompting some to look for an 11-year-old girl instead of a 14-year-old. Class and social status likely played into the investigation, with police describing Charlene as a 'runaway' rather than a potential victim of abuse.
A £100,000 reward is in place for information leading to a conviction. The two men initially tried in 2007 have been retried but their trial collapsed due to "grave doubts" over evidence. Thorp believes the true story behind Charlene's disappearance is being obscured by sensationalist media coverage and far-right rhetoric.
Thorp met with her father, Robert Downes, for her podcast and described him as someone who could have stopped the abuse Charlene faced at home. The investigation also highlighted racist narratives around takeaways in Blackpool where a group of men were accused of sexually exploiting young girls.
In an effort to uncover new evidence, Thorp interviewed women who had been groomed at the time of Charlene's disappearance and revealed their experiences with police who threatened them if they didn't testify against the alleged perpetrators.
The podcast sheds light on the complex web of factors surrounding Charlene Downes' tragic fate and the need for justice and reform in handling missing persons cases.
... but at the same time, I'm kinda glad someone's finally giving voice to Charlene's story after all these years 
. I mean, it's crazy how her case was basically reduced to a salacious tabloid headline - 'Kebab Girl' indeed 
... it's like, what happened to taking a 14-year-old girl seriously? 
... I love how she's using her own experiences with sexism and stalking to fuel her passion for justice 
. But at the same time, it's so frustrating that Charlene's family had to go through all this trauma without any concrete answers 
.
. But hey, at least there's hope, right? Maybe Thorp's podcast can finally shed some light on what really happened to Charlene 
.
I mean, class and social status played a HUGE role in how they treated Charlene... it's like, if she were from a 'respectable' background, would her story have been taken seriously? 
... and maybe, just maybe, it can lead to some actual reform in the way missing persons cases are handled 
. Fingers crossed 
.
it's like, ppl think she 'ran off' or something & that's not true. there's this one podcast series by Nicola Thorp that's trying to clear up the truth & it's literally blowing my mind 
anyways, i think this whole thing is super messed up cuz of racist narratives & classism. the fact that they described charlene as a 'kebab girl' is just wild 
. I mean, can you believe it's been over 20 years since Charlene went missing? It's disgusting how she was reduced to just being 'kebab girl' - it's like her life wasn't even important enough to be taken seriously. And the fact that police initially thought she was a runaway instead of a potential victim is just appalling. I'm so glad Nicola Thorp is shedding light on this case and trying to get justice for Charlene, but we need more than just a podcast - we need real change 
.
instead of believin u were taken away against ur will 
. Nicola Thorp is literally doing amazing work by sheddin all these light on the real story behind Charlenes vanishin 
. We need more ppl like her who wont back down from fightin 4 justice 
and it's not just the media coverage, it's also the police investigation itself... they were so off on their assumptions about her being a runaway instead of a victim. i feel so bad for charlene's family and the community of blackpool who are still searching for answers. and to make matters worse, there was this racist narrative surrounding takeaways in the area where young girls like charlene were allegedly exploited... it's just disgusting 
. anyways, i think nicola thorp is doing some amazing work trying to shed light on this case and i hope she gets to the truth behind charlene's disappearance 
I think it's wild how one person's story, like Charlene's, can get lost in all the noise and become something else entirely. Like her case getting reduced to just a 'kebab girl' narrative instead of being taken seriously as a potential victim of abuse. Nicola Thorp is doing some amazing work trying to uncover the truth behind it all, especially with her own experiences playing a role in shaping her perspective on these issues 
. The fact that she's still not getting the justice she deserves is heartbreaking 
. We need more advocates like Nicola who are willing to speak truth to power and fight for justice 
.
. it's crazy how one story can overshadow the truth and I'm really grateful for Nicola Thorp's podcast series she's giving voice to people who deserve justice and isn't afraid to speak out against the system 
Man, it's crazy to think about how far we've come with women's rights and speaking out against injustice, but it still blows my mind that a case like Charlene's has been stuck in limbo for so long 
.
.
. £100k reward or not, we need to keep pushing for change until Charlene gets the answers she deserves 
.
. it's about time someone started talking about these kinds of cases and how we can do better to support victims and their families 
it's like she's fighting for justice again after everything she went through with those sexist dress requirements at PwC 
and stalking experiences. Charlene Downes' case is literally heartbreaking, I mean who can even imagine what her family must've been going through all these years? 
But Nicola's determination to get to the truth is really inspiring! 
Nicola thorp's podcast series is a good start but it's crazy how much the media and society have clouded up the truth, especially with those racist narratives around takeaways in blackpool...anyway i think we need more people like nicola speaking out against systemic failures and advocating for justice, £100k reward should be a good starting point to get some new leads tho 