Our daughter was 'turned into kebab meat' – people think WE did it

Our beautiful daughter was ‘murdered and into kebab meat’… nearly 20 years later people still think WE did it

• EXCLUSIVE: Charlene Downes, 14, failed to return after heading to meet pals
• Nearly 20 years later her devastated parents are still being accused of murder 

The parents of a teenage girl who is feared to have been murdered then ground into kebab meat say they are still accused of her disapperance nearly 20 years ago.

Charlene Downes vanished just hours after happily telling her mother she would not be late home as she headed to meet two friends.

But the 14-year-old never returned and police believe she was murdered within hours of her last being seen.

Two men went on trial for the schoolgirl’s murder but the case later collapsed.

Her mother, Karen Downes said that despite the family being quizzed and cleared of being involved, they are still subjected to vile abuse and physical attacks – with many accusing them of murder.

The parents of murdered Blackpool teenager Charlene Downes – Karen, 58 and Bob, 61, today

Charlene Downes vanished just hours after happily telling her mother she would not be late home as she headed to meet two pals

The 58-year-old says her husband Bob, 61, has been punched and deliberately hit by a car.

Karen said: ‘It is disgusting was people say and do.

‘All they point the finger at us. I get abuse online, but Bob has it much worse.

‘He will go into a pub and will be targeted.

‘He has been called a murderer, a paedophile and accused of pimping out his daughters. He has never done that and there is no evidence that he has ever done that.

‘One time he was threatened and was told that if he came in the pub again, he would end up dead like Charlene.

‘He is always approached by people and has been punched several times.

‘He has even been hit by a car while walking home from the pub. Once he was struck in the leg and the other time in the side.

‘It is a disgrace. We have done nothing wrong.’

Karen said the family had been failed by the police and is angry that officers were too slow in treating Charlene as a missing person.

This is the last known sighting of Charlene before she suddenly vanished nearly 20 years ago

Charlene’s father Robert Sr, sister Rebecca and mother Karen outside coroners court

Mohammed Reveshi, pictured, was one of the two takeaway shop owners suspected of being involved with the disappearance of Charlene Downes, 13, from Blackpool. His trial collapsed and police paid compensation for their errors.

She said: ‘I had to plead with the police to treat Charlene as a missing person.

‘Others have been classed as a missing person just hours after they were last seen and, I’m not against that, it is a good thing but I just wanted Charlene to be treated in the same way.

‘There was no reason for her to run away. She was happy. It wasn’t fair that she was treated differently.’

She added: ‘I have lost all faith in the police. They are a waste of time.

‘I don’t think we will get justice through the police. The only way we will get justice if someone is brave enough to come forward. They need to show courage and help us get justice.

‘We will keep trying – it’s the only thing we can do.

‘We need Charlene home to lay her to rest.’

Karen last saw her daughter in Blackpool town centre on November 1, 2003 – the day she vanished.

Karen said: ‘She came up to me to say hello.

‘She told me that she was going to meet two of her friends, who were getting off a bus.

‘I told her not to be late home. She smiled, said ‘bye, mum’, waved and then she was gone.

‘I keep running that through it in my mind.

In 2007, Iyad Albattikhi, who ran the Funny Boyz takeaway in the town, stood trial for Charlene’s murder, which collapsed and the police paid compensation for their errors

Detectives believe that Charlene was the victim of sexual exploitation, having sex with gangs of mainly Asian men in exchange for bags of chips and cigarettes

‘I will never forget it. It is awful.

Detectives believe that Charlene was the victim of sexual exploitation, having sex with gangs of mainly Asian men in exchange for bags of chips and cigarettes.

She made 13 visits to a sexual health clinic in the two years before she vanished.

Detectives believed Charlene had been strangled and dismembered, and that her killers joked about having turned her to kebab meat and her bones into tiling grout after she threatened to expose the grooming gang.

In 2007, Iyad Albattikhi, who ran the Funny Boyz takeaway in the town, stood trial for Charlene’s murder. His landlord and business partner Mohammed Reveshi was charged with helping him dispose of her body.

The jury heard taped conversations in which it was alleged Albattikhi had joked that he killed the girl, that she was ‘chopped up’ and her body had ‘gone into the kebabs’.

The jury failed to reach a verdict and a retrial collapsed after a police watchdog found the investigation by Lancashire Constabulary was ‘handled unprofessionally’ and plagued by a ‘catalogue of errors’.

Serious doubts were also uncovered over the way transcripts were made.

Both men were paid £250,000 each in compensation.

Earlier this month, a cold case unit from Leeds Trinity University said it was re-examining the evidence in the hope for fresh leads.

Karen has arranged a memorial service at St John’s Church on November 1 and will release 20 white doves later that day

Reveshi, pictured in a documentary, said he didn’t have ‘any clue’ when asked about Charlene 

Karen said: ‘I was upset that no one told us about the cold case investigation. I didn’t know anything about it until we read about it.

‘I am not upset that the cold case is looking onto it – it is that we were not notified.

‘We should have been told.

‘I don’t think the cold case investigation will have a breakthrough. I hope I am proved wrong, but they are going round in circles asking the same questions.’

She added: ‘Some people are ignorant and say that we are campaigning for financial gain. I am not interested in money.

‘I am just interested in getting justice or getting my daughter back.

‘We don’t have any money, but no amount of money will bring her back.

‘Money can’t buy justice and it certainly can’t bring Charlene back.’

The family has arranged a memorial service at St John’s Church on November 1 and will release 20 white doves later that day.

Karen added: ‘We are doing it to remember he life. We don’t have her body or a grave to visit. All we have are photographs of her.’

She added: ‘We just want to know what happened to Charlene.

‘We have been very much let down by the police.

‘We are in limbo. The not knowing is the worst thing.

‘I pray that we get justice for Charlene.’