'IT'S DISGUSTING'
Parents of girl, 14, who was ‘killed & ground into kebab meat’ reveal trolls still accuse them of her murder 20 years on
THE heartbroken parents of a girl feared to have been killed and ground into kebab meat say cruel trolls still accuse them of murdering their daughter.
Karen and Bob Downes have been dealing with the loss of their beloved Charlene for the last 20 years.
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The young girl was just 14 years old when she vanished in Blackpool on November 1, 2003, with cops finding no trace of her since.
Two men went on trial for the schoolgirl's murder but the case later collapsed.
The family were quizzed extensively by police before eventually being cleared.
However, Karen 58, says they get accused of taking their daughter's life and "targeted" by people online and in person.
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The distraught mum even said husband Bob, 61, has been punched and hit by a car on purpose.
Karen told the : "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.
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"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."
The couple had to sit through harrowing details in court where they heard for the first time Charlene had most likely been murdered, cut up and ground into kebab meat.
Karen fled before throwing up in a nearby toilet after the horrific details were read out.
CHARLENE'S DISAPPEARANCE
Charlene disappeared into the bright lights of Blackpool never to be seen again.
Cops believe the teenager was the victim of sexual exploitation, swapping sex for bags of chips after being groomed by a gang of mainly Asian men.
She made 13 visits to a sexual health clinic in the two years before she vanished.
Two men accused of killing Charlene were never convicted by a jury, which was unable to reach a verdict on their guilt.
A retrial was ruled out amid concerns about evidence gathered by Lancashire Constabulary.
Charlene's case has since been re-opened her case after it went cold.
Karen is now desperate to find out what happened and is working with Dr Kirsty Bennett, an expert in cold cases.
Cops believe Charlene was murdered within hours of disappearing in Blackpool city centre.
Her murder uncovered a dark side of the faded seaside town after a police report revealed Charlene was one of 60 girls - some as young as eleven - who had been groomed by takeaway workers.
The girls were given food and cigarettes in exchange for sex acts.
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There still remains a £100,000 reward on offer from the police for information leading to the conviction of Charlene's killer.
A spokesman for Lancashire Police said: "The case remains open and we would appeal for anyone with information to contact us."
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