Latest news with #McDonald's
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- General
- Business Insider
I compared McDonald's long-awaited Snack Wraps with Popeyes' chicken wraps. Both were delicious, but one is poised to win the wrap battle.
McDonald's Snack Wraps are back on menus after being discontinued in 2016. Popeyes offers its own version of the iconic wraps. I compared both chains' chicken wraps and was torn about which wrap was most worth ordering again. The Snack Wrap is officially back after years of anticipation. McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to nationwide menus on July 10 after almost a decade of fans begging for their comeback. The wraps, which are a fan-favorite among McDonald's customers, disappeared from many menus in 2016 before being officially discontinued by the chain in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts to downsize menus. Since then, other chains, from Burger King to Popeyes, have released their own chicken wraps to fill the void for customers still hungry for the beloved Snack Wraps. And now, it's an all-out chicken wrap battle. Upon the release of McDonald's new Snack Wraps, Popeyes — which launched its own lineup of wraps in June — advertised a promotion to give away a chicken wrap with any purchase of $5 or more until July 13. Both chains' wraps have a similar price point. But which chain is poised to win the wrap wars? I tried McDonald's and Popeyes' lineup of chicken wraps to determine which one was most worth snacking on. Here's how they compared. McDonald's Snack Wraps returned to menus last week. They are priced at $2.99, excluding tax. The paper wrapper showed what kind of wrap was inside, either the spicy version or the ranch version. The Snack Wraps featured a thick tortilla. Both the spicy and ranch Snack Wraps are made with McDonald's new chicken tenders, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese. The ranch version appeared on McDonald's original lineup of Snack Wraps. This time, however, it's made with the chain's new chicken tenders, which launched in May. The ranch sauce was rich and flavorful, and coated every inch of the chicken tender, tortilla, and toppings. The ranch wrap tasted light, but still had a substantial amount of flavor. The creamy ranch balanced out the fresh-tasting lettuce and the crispy chicken tender, while the tortilla held it all together for easy snacking on the go. The spicy Snack Wrap is made with a new spicy-pepper sauce. This is the newest iteration of the Snack Wrap. When Snack Wraps first left the menu in 2016, they were available with a ranch or honey-mustard sauce. When I opened this wrap, a pretty generous amount of sauce was slathered on the chicken tenders, shredded cheese, and shredded lettuce. The chicken tender was crispy, while the lettuce added freshness. I was impressed by the size of these wraps. Despite being snack-sized, I found one of the wraps filling enough for a quick and easy lunch. The spicy sauce did pack a punch — it didn't leave my mouth tingling from the heat, but it had enough kick to justify the spicy name. That said, I wish there had been more sauce. Some bites were completely dry and lacked any of the spicy, savory sauce. I could see why the McDonald's Snack Wraps are so popular. For a quick, reasonably healthy lunch, these wraps deliver. Crispy chicken, bold flavors, and a budget-friendly price — no wonder fans have been demanding their comeback for years. I tried Popeyes' lineup of wraps to see if they could hold a candle to the iconic Snack Wraps. The wraps are priced at $3.99, excluding tax. They're available in three different flavors: classic, spicy, and honey mustard. Popeyes doesn't have custom wrappings for each kind of wrap. Instead, the different flavors were written in pen on the paper wrapping. Like the Snack Wraps, these chicken wraps come in a tortilla. However, I preferred the one used at McDonald's. While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and held the wraps together perfectly, the wraps I got from Popeyes were made a bit more haphazardly. I was worried that if I were truly on the go, they might fall apart. The classic chicken wrap from Popeyes is made with mayonnaise. The wrap is made with one of Popeyes' chicken tenders, mayonnaise, shredded cheese, lettuce, and pickles. The classic wrap's flavor profile, thanks to the mayonnaise and crunchy pickle slices, somewhat reminded me of the chain's famous chicken sandwich. The wrap could have used a touch more flavor. While I thought the chicken tender was crunchy and juicy, and I loved the addition of the pickles, the mayonnaise lacked flavor compared to McDonald's ranch-smothered wrap. Popeyes also has a honey-mustard version. McDonald's used to sell a honey-mustard version of its Snack Wrap, but that flavor didn't make its way back onto menus this time around. I loved the slightly spicy flavor of the honey-mustard wrap. The pickles and tangy honey mustard packed a lot of flavor into this wrap, while the chicken tender was thick and filling. I would love to see McDonald's bring back a honey mustard version of its Snack Wrap to compare the two. Overall, I preferred Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap to McDonald's Snack Wrap. But the tortilla let me down. While the McDonald's tortilla was thick and had a wheaty flavor, the Popeyes tortilla tasted noticeably dry and bland. However, when it came to the other elements of the spicy wraps — from the lettuce to the amount of sauce — I thought Popeyes far surpassed McDonald's. The spicy sauce completely coated every inch of the wrap. It packed enough heat to be both flavorful and manageable, and the pickles added the perfect balance of texture. Out of all five wraps I tried from both chains, this is the one I'm dying to order again. The chicken wraps from Popeyes did measure up to the Snack Wraps, but fell short in a few areas. While I'm still dreaming about Popeyes' spicy chicken wrap, the chain overall fell short compared to McDonald's in terms of value and the quality of the tortilla used in the wraps. Popeyes' chicken wraps cost $1 more than the Snack Wraps, but they're pretty comparable in terms of size and ingredients. I liked the addition of pickles in the Popeyes wraps and the sheer amount of sauce used in the spicy wrap, but it wasn't enough to justify the higher price tag. While I'll definitely order both chains' chicken wraps again, I walked away thinking that the Snack Wrap is iconic for a reason. Other chains' attempts to replicate its magic are in for an uphill battle.
Cision Canada
5 hours ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
McDonald's Canada Announces Leadership Transition English
Annemarie Swijtink named as McDonald's Canada President & CEO Michèle Boudria, current Canadian President & CEO to retire after 40 years with McDonald's Annemarie Swijtink, Managing Director of McDonald's Netherlands, announced as successor TORONTO, July 15, 2025 /CNW/ - McDonald's Canada today announced that Annemarie Swijtink, currently the Managing Director of McDonald's Netherlands, has been named President & Chief Executive Officer. Michèle Boudria, the current Canadian President & CEO, has announced her retirement after an impressive 40-year career with the company. The leadership changes will take effect on September 1, 2025. Celebrating Michèle Boudria's 40-Year Legacy Michèle has been a transformative leader during her career with McDonald's. Starting her journey with McDonald's in 1984 as a crew member in Quebec, Michèle has held various senior roles in both regional, national and international corporate offices, including as the Managing Director for the Netherlands, before becoming the first woman President & CEO of McDonald's Canada in 2022. A people-first leader, Michèle has been instrumental in driving business results while cultivating a culture grounded in talent development, operational excellence, and purpose. Her legacy includes fostering strong partnerships with franchisees, advancing McDonald's purpose of feeding and fostering Canadian communities, and passionately advancing Inclusion initiatives across the organization. " We extend our most sincere appreciation to Michèle as she embarks on her well-deserved retirement. Her remarkable, 40-year career at McDonald's has been nothing short of inspiring," says Manu Steijaert, President, International Operated Markets. "Michèle's talent for nurturing trusted relationships has profoundly shaped the Canadian business. We are deeply grateful for her countless contributions and the close partnership we've shared. Michèle, you will always be a cherished part of the McDonald's family." Looking to the future: Annemarie Swijtink appointed McDonald's Canada President and CEO Michèle is succeeded by Annemarie Swijtink, who joins McDonald's Canada from the Netherlands, where she is currently the Managing Director, a position she has held since June 2022. Annemarie began her McDonald's career as crew and worked her way to the McDonald's Netherlands headquarters since 2006. Since that time, she has held progressively senior, strategic roles across Marketing, Digital Customer Engagement, Impact and Data Analytics. "Having worked with Annemarie for many years, I've had the privilege of witnessing the impact she has had on our brand and our people," says Steijaert. "Her leadership has not only led to the growth of the Dutch business, delivering exceptional results with regards to sales and market share, but her strategic vision and collaborative approach make her the perfect fit to build on the momentum and propel the brand in Canada into an exciting future." Annemarie is an enthusiastic and collaborative leader with a proven track record in strategy and execution. Highly valued by Dutch franchisees, her people-centered leadership has fostered strong relationships and driven talent and team growth. She brings to Canada a deep understanding of the McDonald's business, a passion for McDonald's guests and a commitment to collaboration. "I am incredibly honoured to take on the role of President & CEO of McDonald's Canada. My journey with McDonald's began as a 15-year-old crew member in Deventer, and it has been a privilege to grow with this iconic brand over the years," says Swijtink. "Moving from the Netherlands to Canada is an exciting new chapter for me and my family, and I am eager to become a part of the vibrant Canadian community. I look forward to meeting the talented team here and working together to continue building the bright future of McDonald's in Canada." About McDonald's Canada In 1967, Canada welcomed the first McDonald's restaurant to Richmond, British Columbia. Today, McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited has become part of the Canadian fabric, with McDonald's restaurants serving nearly two million guests every day and employing almost 100,000 people across Canada. More than 90 per cent of McDonald's 1,450 Canadian restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent franchisees, with the remaining restaurants corporately owned and operated by McDonald's Restaurants of Canada Limited. Of the almost $2 billion spent on food and paper by McDonald's restaurants, over 80 per cent is purchased from suppliers in Canada. For more information on McDonald's Canada, visit
Miami Herald
6 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Chick-fil-A offers free food to game-playing fans
Most of us would lie to ourselves if we said we can resist a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich and crispy waffle fries drenched in multiple packs of Chick-fil-A sauce. Although quite tempting, the only thing stopping most of us from ordering it daily is having to pay, which is why Chick-fil-A has decided to take that burden off its fans' shoulders by giving out free food. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter For decades, popular fast-food chains like McDonald's (MCD) , Burger King (QSR) , and Wendy's (WEN) have catered to their younger audiences by implementing more marketing strategies aimed at children, such as offering kids' meals with toys and building playgrounds. Related: Chick-fil-A quietly launches unexpected new menu items However, due to the uncertain economy, which has caused a slowdown in consumer spending, parents are starting to cook at home more often to save money. This has led fast-food chains to devise new ways to keep consumers engaged with their brands. And kids are especially important customers, since chains know little ones can be more persuasive than senior-level salespeople. Chick-fil-A expanded its multimedia portfolio by launching the Chick-fil-A Play app in November last year to encourage family connections and bonding, boost customer engagement, and help them keep up with the latest trends. The Chick-fil-A Play app contains various forms of original multimedia content for parents and children to enjoy, including animated shows, podcasts, games, e-books, video-based recipes, and step-by-step crafts. Related: Chick-fil-A can't lose with latest unexpected innovation Because the app can be used anywhere and anytime, it keeps customers engaged with the brand even when they aren't dining at a Chick-fil-A location. This strategic move creates customer loyalty by fostering a positive association, encouraging families to choose Chick-fil-A over its competitors. Chick-fil-A announced it's bringing back its Code Moo in-app game on July 15 for the third year, offering fans more than just a fun way to pass the time. The app will release a new mission every Tuesday, allowing players the chance to win themed merchandise and weekly food rewards, such as free medium waffle fries, chocolate chunk cookies, and 5-count chicken nuggets until August 4. More Food News: Starbucks' huge new rival opens first US storesBurger King menu adds nostalgic drink after McDonald's backlashHershey makes major change candy lovers may not have seen coming As part of this release, Chick-fil-A is unveiling new merchandise, including reversible bucket hats and pickleball sets, which fans can also shop online via its official website and at participating restaurants while supplies last. The chicken chain launched its first line of merchandise in 2022 to boost brand visibility and generate extra revenue, marking a huge improvement from its plush cow in 1995. Related: Veteran fund manager unveils eye-popping S&P 500 forecast The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Scottish Sun
9 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
Cops saw me being raped by illegal immigrant at 14 but arrested ME & shamed me in press as groomers abused me for years
WHEN police officers walked round the corner, as she was being raped on an industrial estate, 14-year-old Jamie Lee Jones should have felt relief that they had come to her rescue. But shockingly, instead of arresting her attacker - an illegal immigrant – they put HER in handcuffs and arrested her for prostitution. 9 Jamie Leigh Jones was abused by grooming gangs in Oldham from age 12 Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie Leigh was 12 years old when she was first raped by a groomer Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Cops published this mugshot of Jamie age 14 - knowing she was a vulnerable child who had reported multiple rapes Credit: GMP The vulnerable teenager, who have been a victim of grooming gangs from the age of 12, was labelled a sex worker, told she was 'out of control' and hauled up in court. Incredibly, Greater Manchester Police also sent her name and photo to be published across local and national media with a quote from a police chief saying: 'We will run young yobs out of town' – despite having at least two reports of rape against Jamie Leigh at the time and knowing she was classed as a vulnerable child at high risk of sexual abuse from grooming gangs. Jamie Leigh was then taken from her family and placed in care, where the abuse got worse and gangs of rapists from Oldham's Pakistani, Kurdish and Bengali communities were given free reign to continue their sickening campaign of grooming and rape until she was 18. She reported four other rapes to Greater Manchester Police from 2011 to 2015 but says 'nothing was ever done' and officers openly 'blamed her' for the sexual assaults. Care home staff turned a "blind eye" to the abuse, sometimes even dropping her off to meet her abusers and buying her a McDonald's so she wouldn't tell anyone. On one occasion, she was gifted a phone by a groomer, and the next day received calls from 60 different Asian males, asking her to come 'chill' and have sex with them. Groomers would even climb through her bedroom window at the care home or pick her up and traffic her to Rochdale, Bradford and Manchester to be gang raped. In all, she believes she was raped and sexually abused by over 50 men aged from early 20s to 60s, over a hundred times. Now aged 28, Jamie Leigh has bravely waived her anonymity to tell her harrowing story – which she hopes will pressure the government to deliver on their promise to hold a national enquiry into grooming gangs and give survivors much deserved answers. Jamie Leigh's horrific tale began when her family moved to a new area of Oldham and, not having a school place for her, the council placed her in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). National inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal finally ordered by Keir Starmer in another Labour U-turn 'I met a girl there who was 15 years old, three year older than me, and she turned up one day with an older Asian male in the car," she says. 'He bought me cigarettes and gave me money on the first occasion. 'The second occasion he actually rang my mum's phone because I didn't have a phone. My mum told him, 'You're a fully grown man, why are you ringing my daughter? You know how old she is'. 'So then the next time that I went out with him he bought me a phone and told me to keep it away from my mum. "He told me he was a news reporter for the local TV news and worked for the Jeremy Kyle show. It was all lies but I believed it at the time and trusted him. 'My mum gave the police his registration plates and everything but nothing happened. 'Social services didn't do anything except blame me. They said I was an out-of-control child and that my mum needed to put her foot down. 'At the beginning my abuser was nice to me, he bought me things and then I started going around with other older Asian men with this girl. 'One night I gave my number to one Asian man and then I had around 50, 60 people ringing my phone that I didn't know and adding me on Facebook, all older Asian men. 'They were asking me to come out, chill with them, drink, smoke weed, things like that and have sex." 9 She believes police and social services deliberately turned a blind eye to the abuse Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie Leigh lost her trust in authorities after being taken from her family and put into care Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie around age 12 just after she was first raped by a grooming gang member Credit: Glen Minikin Jamie Leigh was raped for the first time at 12. 'I had actually jumped out of my abuser's moving car because he wanted to take me to Rochdale and I was scared,' she said. 'A few weeks after, he spoke to me and it started being really nice again. So I went out with him, he plied me with alcohol and raped me in his car." Within a year Jamie Leigh, who was still living at home, was being trafficked to other men. 'There was one house, when I was about 13 years old, and there was an older Asian male there. He was talking to me like I was a child - because I was a child. But he was telling me that I'd make his uncle's birthday if I were to have sex with his uncle and he'd give me money for it. 'To be honest I was raped so many times it's hard to remember exactly how many. I know I was gang raped twice. 'I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs.' 'Nobody cared' Jamie Leigh's worried friends tried to intervene, telling her mum, police and social services about what was happening to her – but no action was taken against any of the men. Instead, authorities began to target Jamie Leigh. 'They told my mum that I was a danger to my little brother and I couldn't live there anymore otherwise he'd be put in care, so I had to move out and then I was put into care,' she says. 'One day my abusers filled me with drink and I actually kicked off with the police. So I was arrested. 'Before that court date actually took place, police walked around the corner into this industrial estate and caught an illegal immigrant rapist raping me. 'I had my pants down my ankles. He was laying on top of me. His pants were down. 'I stood up with one boot in my hand and they actually put me in handcuffs and took me to the police car, arrested me for prostitution and took me to the police station. To be honest I was raped so many times it's hard to remember exactly how many. Jamie Leigh Jones 'He wasn't arrested at the time, but they arrested me for prostitution because he told them that I took money off him, which I didn't. 'At the time I thought nothing was done to him but I found out from officers recently that he was actually an illegal immigrant and they sent him to the deportation centre. Then he was let out of the deportation centre and they have no idea where he is now. 'I was sent to court and the judge questioned social services for over an hour, telling them that I was not a danger to the public, but the public was a danger to me and that he was going to adjourn it while they sorted something out for my safety. He put me in a secure children's prison. 'After I got to the secure unit, the judge forced them to put me into a care home. 'The judge was trying to help me, but it just got even worse. "There were men coming to the care home outside, picking us up, dropping us off every day and every night. Nobody cared.' 9 Jamie was passed around for years as a teenager Credit: Glen Minikin Drugged and raped Jamie Leigh was plied with drugs and alcohol for years by her abusers who would pass her around to be raped, often by multiple men in one day. 'I think on a few occasions I was drugged. I lost loads of weight, I was like a rake and I looked poorly,' she says 'There was one occasion where I was in a flat and I was that drunk, I'd laid down and my head was spinning, then loads of different men were coming in the room having sex with me. 'They were all horrible to me they would spit on me and stuff. I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs. Jamie Leigh Jones 'At first I thought they were my friends. I thought they cared about me and they were giving me loads of things that I never had. 'And then it turned and it started being horrible and nasty. They were telling me to bring other girls out, younger girls. I never did. 'But I know one of my friends did and she was arrested for being a perpetrator while none of the men were arrested. She was 15. 'I was groomed into just walking around the area and Asian men would just pull over and say 'Right, you coming out? You coming to chill? You coming for a drink? And I get in the car and I'd end up being raped. 'I don't know why I got in the cars, it was just normalised at the time. I didn't know any better. I had no self esteem. 'The police, the council, social services didn't seem to see a problem with it then. 'I was so young when it started, your brain's a sponge." Jamie began to rely on alcohol, supplied by her abusers, to make her feel like she "wasn't really there." 'A lot of times I was scared and that's why I drank so fast and I drank straight alcohol deliberately to block it out. 'When you've been raped you become scared to say no. 'Once that has happened for the first time, from that moment, you're just quiet, because you know they're going to take it anyway.' 'High risk of murder' Jamie Leigh was placed in three different care homes in Oldham, Rivendell House, and Fraser Street Children's home and Porter Street Supported Living. 'There were always cars outside the care homes waiting for us,' she said. 'Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. 'They did absolutely nothing. They knew what was going on. It wasn't just me, there were numerous girls and they just kept coming back absolutely obliterated after being abused. 'By the time I was 15, I had 152 missing episodes my records say. 'But the care home staff would act like it was normal. The only time they ever did anything about it was when one of my care workers turned around and said, I needed to get an STI check because I'll end up with 'fanny rot' if I don't. 'Those were the actual words she said. 'There was an Asian man who worked at one of the care homes and he was always saying inappropriate things to the girls. 'He'd say: 'Why do you hang around with Bengalis? Why don't you hang around with us Pakistanis? 'Sometimes he'd give us a lift to places and say, 'I shouldn't be dropping you off in Pakistani areas or Bengali areas. I shouldn't be doing this. So make sure you don't tell anyone. Here I'll buy you a McDonald's' 'Then he'd say, 'Don't tell any of the other girls' and then he'd sneak in your room to take your rubbish so no one would see it. 'He also had one of his nephews who was in his twenties come and smoke weed and offer it to the kids in the care home." 9 Jamie Leigh with her mum Louise Hopwood Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie Leigh with her mum as a teen Credit: Glen Minikin Shocking files Redacted social services documents from Jamie Leigh's file, which she has shared with The Sun, show that she was the subject of Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy and Review Meetings from as early as 2010, when she would have been aged 13. One notes shockingly: 'Although Jamie is 13, she does look older.' It adds: 'A number of Jamie's friends are already known to the [redacted] service and Jamie is aware of this, however she still chooses to place herself at risk.' A social services form, filled out for Jamie in 2013, titled Hazard: Child Sexual Exploitation, describes Jamie at 'high' risk of sexual exploitation with the frequency listed as 'daily'. The 'risks' she faced are listed as sexual abuse, absconding, criminal record, harm to public, pregnancy and STIs and 'allegations'. Ninth on the list is 'risk of serious injury or death'. Despite the high risk of death, Jamie Leigh's 'action plan' written down by staff is woefully inadequate – including plans to get her to fill out a 'safe and well questionnaire' on her return from missing episodes. It also states: 'Staff to discourage inappropriate friendships' – showing staff saw the older Asian men who abused her as the teen's 'friends'. 'They did nothing at the care homes, I noticed in Porter Street a few years later, which when I was 16, they started actually reporting stuff but still nothing happened to stop it,' Jamie Leigh says. 'It was there that older Asian men kept climbing into my flat window and that is recorded in my notes. Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. Jamie Leigh Jones 'I don't know why, when I was classed as at risk they still kept putting me in these care homes where there were Asian men picking up girls. Putting all these girls that are at risk together, just causes more problems. 'There were at least 20 girls I knew in the care homes who were being exploited.' According to Jamie Leigh's police records, which she requested, she reported rapes in 2011, 2012 and 2015. She also recalls reporting a rape at the age of 12 but no records can be found. 'Throughout that time they didn't do anything, nothing ever came of the reports I made,' Jamie Leigh said. 'I never did a rape kit. They took my knickers from the gang rape – but nothing ever came of that. "I stopped reporting things. It just became me versus the world." Search for answers Jamie Leigh said she moved out of Oldham as soon as she turned 18. 'It was the only way to stop it,' she says. "I struggled to piece my life together, and to be honest I'm still struggling now. 'I want answers. I think every survivor deserves answers.' Oldham Council and GMP have admitted failing Jamie Leigh, who was featured anonymously in an independent inquiry into child sex abuse in Oldham in 2022, and apologised to her. Jamie Leigh has also given evidence to Operation Sherwood, an active investigation into historic child sex abuse in Oldham. So far, 12 arrests have been made as part of the investigation but no one has yet been charged. But to Jamie Leigh, it's too little, too late. 'I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house," she said. 'And I think my problems stem not just from the abuse suffered, but also the way that the services handled it and they're still handling it to this day. 'It's become this whole debate about racism when in reality, that doesn't matter. What matters is that the females and the girls that have been through these horrific things get heard. 'I feel like people need to accept the full failings and stop denying the facts of what's happened. We can't make changes in the future if we don't go back and look into every single mistake that's happened in the past. 'Survivors should not have to be fighting now.' Jamie Leigh is now studying to be a counsellor at Open University and wants to help other survivors of abuse. Police response to Jamie's story A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police gave this statement to The Sun: 'We have fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse and are working with a number of survivors, who have placed their faith in the GMP of today and are supporting our active retrospective investigations. 'These are long and complex investigations, but our commitment is unwavering, and we will not allow passage of time to be a hindrance. 'HMICFRS and Ofsted published a report last week highlighting significant improvements we have made in how we protect children, respond to abuse, and investigate non-recent cases of CSE. 'GMP remains focused on listening to survivors and advancing our effective practice still further. We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities, and we continue to give our commitment to do just that. 'We are actively investigating and supporting Jamie as we progress her case. While we understand that the impact of her past experience cannot be undone, we are confident that victims' experiences today would be significantly improved compared to those of previous years." And she is urging other survivors and whistle blowers to come forward and share their stories. 'I think we deserve answers after everything we've been through, after years of having to fight for what's right,' she said. 'And it's still happening. I'm getting people messaging me saying they don't know where to turn, they're not getting the right support. Children are still being blamed for being raped. 'People message me telling me it's happening to the daughters or their sister. 'One of the worst things about a woman being raped and suffering abuse like this is not being believed. 'So when services that are supposed to help are not doing anything to help them, it's wrong. It's worse because these people should know better than abusers and rapists and child molesters. I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house. Jamie Leigh Jones 'Some of these people should be jailed as well because they've enabled this to happen to so many girls for so long. 'I'd love to see the officers that put me in handcuffs that day go down for a long time. 'Or at the very least be retrained because shouldn't be in the jobs if you stand with those beliefs. 'They've been allowed to do it, while we've been as survivors, blamed for what we've been through for decades. 'It can really mess survivors and rape victims heads' up, especially children, when you say 'We're not doing anything about it? You go out and get raped. It's normal. That's your lifestyle. You're never going to amount to nothing.' 'It's wrong. It'd be different if it was their children. And I said that years ago to a police officer while it was happening. I said, 'Would you treat your children like this?' 'He said, 'My children wouldn't behave in such a way'. Oldham Council's response to Jamie's story Oldham Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah said: "I want to commend Jamie Leigh for her extraordinary courage in speaking out and sharing her story. Her bravery is not only deeply moving but plays a vital role in ensuring that survivors are heard, and that real change continues to happen. "Across the country, councils, the police, and other agencies failed those affected by child sexual exploitation in the past. Oldham was no exception and we apologise again to survivors and their families. "We also recognise that these horrific crimes have not disappeared, but we are more determined than ever to root out those who abuse and exploit children. We will not rest until every child is safe and those responsible are held fully to account. "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated. "We welcome both local and national inquiries, and we are clear that survivors must be at the centre of this process. Their voices are essential to building a safer future for every child." 'I feel like all survivors need a massive apology from Keir Starmer for starters, for the system, for being ignored and now for having to fight for what's right. 'I want the truth to come out because we've spent years of not being believed and that's horrible. I want people to be questioned and I want answers.' In response to Jamie's story, Greater Manchester Police said it had "fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse" and it was "actively investigating" the case. Oldham Council added: "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie-Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated."
The Irish Sun
9 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Cops saw me being raped by illegal immigrant at 14 but arrested ME & shamed me in press as groomers abused me for years
WHEN police officers walked round the corner, as she was being raped on an industrial estate, 14-year-old Jamie Lee Jones should have felt relief that they had come to her rescue. But shockingly, instead of arresting her attacker - an illegal immigrant – they put HER in handcuffs and arrested her for prostitution. Advertisement 9 Jamie Leigh Jones was abused by grooming gangs in Oldham from age 12 Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie Leigh was 12 years old when she was first raped by a groomer Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Cops published this mugshot of Jamie age 14 - knowing she was a vulnerable child who had reported multiple rapes Credit: GMP The vulnerable teenager, who have been a victim of grooming gangs from the age of 12, was labelled a sex worker, told she was 'out of control' and hauled up in court. Incredibly, Greater Manchester Police also sent her name and photo to be published across local and national media with a quote from a police chief saying: 'We will run young yobs out of town' – despite having at least two reports of rape against Jamie Leigh at the time and knowing she was classed as a vulnerable child at high risk of sexual abuse from grooming gangs. Jamie Leigh was then taken from her family and placed in care, where the abuse got worse and gangs of rapists from Oldham's Pakistani, Kurdish and Bengali communities were given free reign to continue their sickening campaign of grooming and rape until she was 18. She reported four other rapes to Greater Manchester Police from 2011 to 2015 but says 'nothing was ever done' and officers openly 'blamed her' for the sexual assaults. Advertisement Read more on grooming gangs Care home staff turned a "blind eye" to the abuse, sometimes even dropping her off to meet her abusers and buying her a McDonald's so she wouldn't tell anyone. On one occasion, she was gifted a phone by a groomer, and the next day received calls from 60 different Asian males, asking her to come 'chill' and have sex with them. Groomers would even climb through her bedroom window at the care home or pick her up and traffic her to In all, she believes she was raped and sexually abused by over 50 men aged from early 20s to 60s, over a hundred times. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Now aged 28, Jamie Leigh has bravely waived her anonymity to tell her harrowing story – which she hopes will pressure the government to deliver on their promise to hold a national enquiry into Jamie Leigh's horrific tale began when her family moved to a new area of Oldham and, not having a school place for her, the council placed her in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU). National inquiry into the grooming gangs scandal finally ordered by Keir Starmer in another Labour U-turn 'I met a girl there who was 15 years old, three year older than me, and she turned up one day with an older Asian male in the car," she says. 'He bought me cigarettes and gave me money on the first occasion. Advertisement 'The second occasion he actually rang my mum's phone because I didn't have a phone. My mum told him, 'You're a fully grown man, why are you ringing my daughter? You know how old she is'. 'So then the next time that I went out with him he bought me a phone and told me to keep it away from my mum. "He told me he was a news reporter for the local TV news and worked for the Jeremy Kyle show. It was all lies but I believed it at the time and trusted him. 'My mum gave the police his registration plates and everything but nothing happened. Advertisement 'Social services didn't do anything except blame me. They said I was an out-of-control child and that my mum needed to put her foot down. 'At the beginning my abuser was nice to me, he bought me things and then I started going around with other older Asian men with this girl. 'One night I gave my number to one Asian man and then I had around 50, 60 people ringing my phone that I didn't know and adding me on Facebook, all older Asian men. 'They were asking me to come out, chill with them, drink, smoke weed, things like that and have sex." Advertisement 9 She believes police and social services deliberately turned a blind eye to the abuse Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie Leigh lost her trust in authorities after being taken from her family and put into care Credit: Glen Minikin 9 Jamie around age 12 just after she was first raped by a grooming gang member Credit: Glen Minikin Jamie Leigh was raped for the first time at 12. Advertisement 'I had actually jumped out of my abuser's moving car because he wanted to take me to Rochdale and I was scared,' she said. 'A few weeks after, he spoke to me and it started being really nice again. So I went out with him, he plied me with alcohol and raped me in his car." Within a year Jamie Leigh, who was still living at home, was being trafficked to other men. 'There was one house, when I was about 13 years old, and there was an older Asian male there. He was talking to me like I was a child - because I was a child. But he was telling me that I'd make his uncle's birthday if I were to have sex with his uncle and he'd give me money for it. Advertisement 'To be honest I was raped so many times it's hard to remember exactly how many. I know I was gang raped twice. 'I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs.' 'Nobody cared' Jamie Leigh's worried friends tried to intervene, telling her mum, police and social services about what was happening to her – but no action was taken against any of the men. Instead, authorities began to target Jamie Leigh. Advertisement 'They told my mum that I was a danger to my little brother and I couldn't live there anymore otherwise he'd be put in care, so I had to move out and then I was put into care,' she says. 'One day my abusers filled me with drink and I actually kicked off with the police. So I was arrested. 'Before that court date actually took place, police walked around the corner into this industrial estate and caught an illegal immigrant rapist raping me. 'I had my pants down my ankles. He was laying on top of me. His pants were down. Advertisement 'I stood up with one boot in my hand and they actually put me in handcuffs and took me to the police car, arrested me for prostitution and took me to the police station. To be honest I was raped so many times it's hard to remember exactly how many. Jamie Leigh Jones 'He wasn't arrested at the time, but they arrested me for prostitution because he told them that I took money off him, which I didn't. 'At the time I thought nothing was done to him but I found out from officers recently that he was actually an illegal immigrant and they sent him to the deportation centre. Then he was let out of the deportation centre and they have no idea where he is now. 'I was sent to court and the judge questioned social services for over an hour, telling them that I was not a danger to the public, but the public was a danger to me and that he was going to adjourn it while they sorted something out for my safety. He put me in a secure children's prison. Advertisement 'After I got to the secure unit, the judge forced them to put me into a care home. 'The judge was trying to help me, but it just got even worse. "There were men coming to the care home outside, picking us up, dropping us off every day and every night. Nobody cared.' 9 Jamie was passed around for years as a teenager Credit: Glen Minikin Advertisement Drugged and raped Jamie Leigh was plied with drugs and alcohol for years by her abusers who would pass her around to be raped, often by multiple men in one day. 'I think on a few occasions I was drugged. I lost loads of weight, I was like a rake and I looked poorly,' she says 'There was one occasion where I was in a flat and I was that drunk, I'd laid down and my head was spinning, then loads of different men were coming in the room having sex with me. 'They were all horrible to me they would spit on me and stuff. Advertisement I was passed around for years between older Asian men, sexually abused, sexually exploited, filled with alcohol, filled with drugs. Jamie Leigh Jones 'At first I thought they were my friends. I thought they cared about me and they were giving me loads of things that I never had. 'And then it turned and it started being horrible and nasty. They were telling me to bring other girls out, younger girls. I never did. 'But I know one of my friends did and she was arrested for being a perpetrator while none of the men were arrested. She was 15. 'I was groomed into just walking around the area and Asian men would just pull over and say 'Right, you coming out? You coming to chill? You coming for a drink? And I get in the car and I'd end up being raped. Advertisement 'I don't know why I got in the cars, it was just normalised at the time. I didn't know any better. I had no self esteem. 'The police, the council, social services didn't seem to see a problem with it then. 'I was so young when it started, your brain's a sponge." Jamie began to rely on alcohol, supplied by her abusers, to make her feel like she "wasn't really there." Advertisement 'A lot of times I was scared and that's why I drank so fast and I drank straight alcohol deliberately to block it out. 'When you've been raped you become scared to say no. 'Once that has happened for the first time, from that moment, you're just quiet, because you know they're going to take it anyway.' 'High risk of murder' Jamie Leigh was placed in three different care homes in Oldham, Rivendell House, and Fraser Street Children's home and Porter Street Supported Living. Advertisement 'There were always cars outside the care homes waiting for us,' she said. 'Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. 'They did absolutely nothing. They knew what was going on. It wasn't just me, there were numerous girls and they just kept coming back absolutely obliterated after being abused. 'By the time I was 15, I had 152 missing episodes my records say. Advertisement 'But the care home staff would act like it was normal. The only time they ever did anything about it was when one of my care workers turned around and said, I needed to get an STI check because I'll end up with 'fanny rot' if I don't. 'Those were the actual words she said. 'There was an Asian man who worked at one of the care homes and he was always saying inappropriate things to the girls. 'He'd say: 'Why do you hang around with Bengalis? Why don't you hang around with us Pakistanis? Advertisement 'Sometimes he'd give us a lift to places and say, 'I shouldn't be dropping you off in Pakistani areas or Bengali areas. I shouldn't be doing this. So make sure you don't tell anyone. Here I'll buy you a McDonald's' 'Then he'd say, 'Don't tell any of the other girls' and then he'd sneak in your room to take your rubbish so no one would see it. 'He also had one of his nephews who was in his twenties come and smoke weed and offer it to the kids in the care home." 9 Jamie Leigh with her mum Louise Hopwood Credit: Glen Minikin Advertisement 9 Jamie Leigh with her mum as a teen Credit: Glen Minikin Shocking files Redacted social services documents from Jamie Leigh's file, which she has shared with The Sun, show that she was the subject of Child Sexual Exploitation Strategy and Review Meetings from as early as 2010, when she would have been aged 13. One notes shockingly: 'Although Jamie is 13, she does look older.' It adds: 'A number of Jamie's friends are already known to the [redacted] service and Jamie is aware of this, however she still chooses to place herself at risk.' Advertisement A social services form, filled out for Jamie in 2013, titled Hazard: Child Sexual Exploitation, describes Jamie at 'high' risk of sexual exploitation with the frequency listed as 'daily'. The 'risks' she faced are listed as sexual abuse, absconding, criminal record, harm to public, pregnancy and STIs and 'allegations'. Ninth on the list is 'risk of serious injury or death'. Despite the high risk of death, Jamie Leigh's 'action plan' written down by staff is woefully inadequate – including plans to get her to fill out a 'safe and well questionnaire' on her return from missing episodes. Advertisement It also states: 'Staff to discourage inappropriate friendships' – showing staff saw the older Asian men who abused her as the teen's 'friends'. 'They did nothing at the care homes, I noticed in Porter Street a few years later, which when I was 16, they started actually reporting stuff but still nothing happened to stop it,' Jamie Leigh says. 'It was there that older Asian men kept climbing into my flat window and that is recorded in my notes. Staff knew I was high risk. They had me at high risk of being murdered but they still never tried to stop us getting into the cars. Jamie Leigh Jones 'I don't know why, when I was classed as at risk they still kept putting me in these care homes where there were Asian men picking up girls. Putting all these girls that are at risk together, just causes more problems. Advertisement 'There were at least 20 girls I knew in the care homes who were being exploited.' According to Jamie Leigh's police records, which she requested, she reported rapes in 2011, 2012 and 2015. She also recalls reporting a rape at the age of 12 but no records can be found. 'Throughout that time they didn't do anything, nothing ever came of the reports I made,' Jamie Leigh said. Advertisement 'I never did a rape kit. They took my knickers from the gang rape – but nothing ever came of that. "I stopped reporting things. It just became me versus the world." Search for answers Jamie Leigh said she moved out of Oldham as soon as she turned 18. 'It was the only way to stop it,' she says. "I struggled to piece my life together, and to be honest I'm still struggling now. Advertisement 'I want answers. I think every survivor deserves answers.' Oldham Council and GMP have admitted failing Jamie Leigh, who was featured anonymously in an independent inquiry into child sex abuse in Oldham in 2022, and apologised to her. Jamie Leigh has also given evidence to Operation Sherwood, an active investigation into historic child sex abuse in Oldham. So far, 12 arrests have been made as part of the investigation but no one has yet been charged. Advertisement But to Jamie Leigh, it's too little, too late. 'I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house," she said. 'And I think my problems stem not just from the abuse suffered, but also the way that the services handled it and they're still handling it to this day. 'It's become this whole debate about racism when in reality, that doesn't matter. What matters is that the females and the girls that have been through these horrific things get heard. Advertisement 'I feel like people need to accept the full failings and stop denying the facts of what's happened. We can't make changes in the future if we don't go back and look into every single mistake that's happened in the past. 'Survivors should not have to be fighting now.' Jamie Leigh is now studying to be a counsellor at Open University and wants to help other survivors of abuse. Police response to Jamie's story A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Police gave this statement to The Sun: 'We have fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse and are working with a number of survivors, who have placed their faith in the GMP of today and are supporting our active retrospective investigations. 'These are long and complex investigations, but our commitment is unwavering, and we will not allow passage of time to be a hindrance. 'HMICFRS and Ofsted published a report last week highlighting significant improvements we have made in how we protect children, respond to abuse, and investigate non-recent cases of CSE. 'GMP remains focused on listening to survivors and advancing our effective practice still further. We owe it both to those abused in the past and to our children today to sustain this most pressing of priorities, and we continue to give our commitment to do just that. 'We are actively investigating and supporting Jamie as we progress her case. While we understand that the impact of her past experience cannot be undone, we are confident that victims' experiences today would be significantly improved compared to those of previous years." And she is urging other survivors and whistle blowers to come forward and share their stories. Advertisement 'I think we deserve answers after everything we've been through, after years of having to fight for what's right,' she said. 'And it's still happening. I'm getting people messaging me saying they don't know where to turn, they're not getting the right support. Children are still being blamed for being raped. 'People message me telling me it's happening to the daughters or their sister. 'One of the worst things about a woman being raped and suffering abuse like this is not being believed. Advertisement 'So when services that are supposed to help are not doing anything to help them, it's wrong. It's worse because these people should know better than abusers and rapists and child molesters. I've been left with complex PTSD. I've suffered from panic attacks, nightmares. I rarely leave the house. Jamie Leigh Jones 'Some of these people should be jailed as well because they've enabled this to happen to so many girls for so long. 'I'd love to see the officers that put me in handcuffs that day go down for a long time. 'Or at the very least be retrained because shouldn't be in the jobs if you stand with those beliefs. Advertisement 'They've been allowed to do it, while we've been as survivors, blamed for what we've been through for decades. 'It can really mess survivors and rape victims heads' up, especially children, when you say 'We're not doing anything about it? You go out and get raped. It's normal. That's your lifestyle. You're never going to amount to nothing.' 'It's wrong. It'd be different if it was their children. And I said that years ago to a police officer while it was happening. I said, 'Would you treat your children like this?' 'He said, 'My children wouldn't behave in such a way'. Advertisement Oldham Council's response to Jamie's story Oldham Council Leader, Cllr Arooj Shah said: "I want to commend Jamie Leigh for her extraordinary courage in speaking out and sharing her story. Her bravery is not only deeply moving but plays a vital role in ensuring that survivors are heard, and that real change continues to happen. "Across the country, councils, the police, and other agencies failed those affected by child sexual exploitation in the past. Oldham was no exception and we apologise again to survivors and their families. "We also recognise that these horrific crimes have not disappeared, but we are more determined than ever to root out those who abuse and exploit children. We will not rest until every child is safe and those responsible are held fully to account. "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated. "We welcome both local and national inquiries, and we are clear that survivors must be at the centre of this process. Their voices are essential to building a safer future for every child." 'I feel like all survivors need a massive apology from Keir Starmer for starters, for the system, for being ignored and now for having to fight for what's right. 'I want the truth to come out because we've spent years of not being believed and that's horrible. I want people to be questioned and I want answers.' In response to Jamie's story, Greater Manchester Police said it had "fully accepted our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse" and it was "actively investigating" the case. Oldham Council added: "Oldham is absolutely committed to learning from the past. Thanks in no small part to the tenacity of survivors like Jamie-Leigh, we are leading the way in tackling child sexual exploitation, putting survivors at the heart of our efforts, and doing everything in our power to ensure the mistakes of the past are never repeated." Advertisement
