Mother of schoolgirl Charlene Downes who was ‘murdered and chopped into kebabs’ by Blackpool grooming gang reveals she is still ‘stuck in that day’ 20 years after her disappearance

The case of missing schoolgirl Charlene Downes has remained a mystery since the moment she disappeared from near her home almost 20 years ago.

Her mother Karen Downes will now commemorate the day by releasing 20 white doves in honor of her daughter, who was just 14 when she went missing near the seaside town of Blackpool.

November 1 marks the 20th anniversary of Charlene’s disappearance, but despite two trials and a lengthy investigation, including controversial claims that Charlene’s remains were chopped into kebab meat, her ultimate whereabouts remain a mystery.

Karen, 58, says she has accepted her daughter is dead but hopes a new investigation can provide the answers she needs.

For the mother of four children, the memory of Charlene is as haunting as it is present. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think of my Charlene,” she said. ‘I never sleep. I can’t go on living. I’m still stuck in that day.

“Since she disappeared, I’ve kept a candle burning in my window, and it’s still burning. I hope and pray for justice.

“The memorial service will last 20 years and we will hold a candlelight vigil outside the church where she went for Sunday school. I’m also going to release white doves, one for each year.

‘I never for a moment believed that she had been dismembered and hidden in kebab meat, but it is a claim that haunts us.

‘There have been so many terrible rumors about what happened to her and as a mother it is difficult to accept. I just want closure, for her and for the rest of the family.”

Private investigator Jen Jarvie, part of a crack team specializing in cold cases, recently announced an investigation into the disappearance of the teenager, who would have turned 34 today.

Karen and her husband Bob, 61, are already pinning their hopes on the new research.

The brave mum said she felt ‘positive’ about one day discovering the truth behind her daughter’s disappearance.

“I’ve met the team and I know they work hard,” she added.

Karen has suffered more losses in recent years as she has lost more members of her family.

She said: ‘I lost my son Robert, in December 2021. He was only 30 and never got over the loss of his sister.

‘He used to climb out of his bedroom to look for her. Her disappearance cost his life.

‘It also killed my mother. She couldn’t deal with it. I hope they are all together in heaven. It’s my only consolation.

‘I now have eight grandchildren who bring me so much joy and yet I can’t help but think how happy I would be if Charlene had her own children and what she would be like. Life is always ‘what if?’

“I have a six-year-old granddaughter who really reminds me of Charlene and it’s bittersweet. She lives on through her, but it’s a reminder of what we’ve lost.”

Karen has issued an impassioned plea to anyone with information on Charlene’s whereabouts, urging them to come forward.

‘During the twentieth anniversary, as always, I would like to appeal to someone who would like to come forward. Someone knows the truth.

“My candle will burn in my window until justice is done. I hope Jen can be the one to put her mind to rest.”

It is believed the teenager was a victim of child sexual exploitation after being groomed by a gang of Asian men.

The prosecution at a 2007 trial claimed Charlene’s body was dismembered and chopped into kebabs in a Blackpool takeaway.

After a planned retrial was halted in 2008, Karen began to lose hope of ever finding the truth and nearly suffered a nervous breakdown.

But Karen insists she will ‘wait a lifetime’ for justice to prevail. “I can’t believe 20 years have passed and I’m still no closer to the truth,” she said.

“In many ways, her disappearance feels like just yesterday. The pain never goes away. In other ways, I feel like I’ve been waiting a lifetime for justice.”