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Members of the British-Pakistani community condemned the sexual abuses and the cover-up by authorities out of fear of "giving oxygen" to racism.<ref name="bbc Real or imagined"/> [[Nazir Afzal]], the [[Crown Prosecution Service]]'s lead on child sexual abuse, himself a Muslim, said that the abuse had no basis in Islam and was caused by negative views of women present in all sectors. He also claimed "Where you have Pakistani men, Asian men, disproportionately employed in the night-time economy, they are going to be more involved in this kind of activity than perhaps white men are."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gentleman|first1=Amelia|title=Nazir Afzal: ‘There is no religious basis for the abuse in Rotherham’|url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/03/nazir-afzal-there-is-no-religious-basis-for-the-abuse-in-rotherham|accessdate=6 September 2014|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 September 2014}}</ref> |
Members of the British-Pakistani community condemned the sexual abuses and the cover-up by authorities out of fear of "giving oxygen" to racism.<ref name="bbc Real or imagined"/> [[Nazir Afzal]], the [[Crown Prosecution Service]]'s lead on child sexual abuse, himself a Muslim, said that the abuse had no basis in Islam and was caused by negative views of women present in all sectors. He also claimed "Where you have Pakistani men, Asian men, disproportionately employed in the night-time economy, they are going to be more involved in this kind of activity than perhaps white men are."<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gentleman|first1=Amelia|title=Nazir Afzal: ‘There is no religious basis for the abuse in Rotherham’|url=http://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/sep/03/nazir-afzal-there-is-no-religious-basis-for-the-abuse-in-rotherham|accessdate=6 September 2014|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=3 September 2014}}</ref> In response, the journalist [[Dan Hodges]] said that Afzal's "statements are staggering" and that he "should be sacked" for "seek[ing] to deny this [political correctness] was a factor in the crimes."<ref name="DanHodges">{{cite news|title=How can the man in charge of child protection say Rotherham had nothing to do with race? |
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|url=http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/danhodges/100285224/how-can-the-man-in-charge-of-child-protection-say-rotherham-had-nothing-to-do-with-race/|work=[[The Telegraph]]|date=4 September 2014}}</ref> |
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Council leader, Roger Stone, of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], resigned - an act of contrition the report said should have been made years earlier<ref name=peachey/> - saying he would take full responsibility for "the historic failings described so clearly in the report."<ref name=BBC26Aug2014/><ref name=johnson>Becky Johnson, "[http://news.sky.com/story/1324952/horrific-cases-of-child-abuse-in-rotherham 'Horrific' Cases Of Child Abuse In Rotherham.]" Sky News, 26 August 2014.</ref> Chief Executive, Martin Kimber said no council officers would face disciplinary action.<ref name=johnson/> Kimber announced on 8 September that he intended to step down in December 2014, and offered his "sincere apology to those who were let down".<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29109918 "Rotherham child abuse: Martin Kimber, council chief exec, to step down", BBC News, 8 September 2014]. Retrieved 8 September 2014</ref> |
Council leader, Roger Stone, of the [[Labour Party (UK)|Labour Party]], resigned - an act of contrition the report said should have been made years earlier<ref name=peachey/> - saying he would take full responsibility for "the historic failings described so clearly in the report."<ref name=BBC26Aug2014/><ref name=johnson>Becky Johnson, "[http://news.sky.com/story/1324952/horrific-cases-of-child-abuse-in-rotherham 'Horrific' Cases Of Child Abuse In Rotherham.]" Sky News, 26 August 2014.</ref> Chief Executive, Martin Kimber said no council officers would face disciplinary action.<ref name=johnson/> Kimber announced on 8 September that he intended to step down in December 2014, and offered his "sincere apology to those who were let down".<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-29109918 "Rotherham child abuse: Martin Kimber, council chief exec, to step down", BBC News, 8 September 2014]. Retrieved 8 September 2014</ref> |
Revision as of 08:53, 11 September 2014
The Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal refers to the existence of widespread child sexual abuse in the town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England, between 1997 and 2013, and its alleged cover-up.
In 2010, five men of Pakistani heritage were found guilty of a series of sexual offences against girls as young as twelve.[1] A subsequent investigation by The Times reported that the child sex exploitation was much more widespread, and the Home Affairs Select Committee criticised the South Yorkshire Police force and Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council for their handling of the abuse. An independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, led by Professor Alexis Jay, was established in 2013 for Rotherham Council.[2]
The Inquiry's initial report was published on 26 August 2014 and condemned the failure of the authorities in Rotherham to act effectively against the abuse and even, in some cases, to acknowledge that it was taking place.[1][3][4] It conservatively estimated that 1,400 children had been sexually exploited in the town between 1997 and 2013, predominantly by gangs of British-Pakistani men. Abuses described by the report included abduction, rape and sex trafficking of children.[4]
Members of the British-Pakistani community condemned both the sexual abuse and that it had been covered up for fear of "giving oxygen" to racism.[5] The leader of Rotherham Borough Council, Roger Stone, resigned, as did the council's Chief Executive, Martin Kimber. However, Shaun Wright, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for South Yorkshire who had been a Labour councillor in charge of child safety at the council, refused demands that he should also stand down. The Home Secretary, Theresa May, blamed the failure of the authorities in Rotherham on "institutionalised political correctness",[6] and Denis MacShane, the former MP for Rotherham during the period covered by the report, admitted that he had been "guilty of doing too little" to investigate the extent of the sex crimes being committed in his constituency.[7] Independent inquiries were set up into the actions of both South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Borough Council, to examine their roles in investigating the allegations, and their procedures and practices.[8][9]
2010 trial
In 2010, eight men were tried at Sheffield Crown Court for a series of sexual offences against young girls. Five men were convicted and jailed in November 2010. They had fostered relationships with girls as young as twelve, and raped them in cars and parks.[10][11]
Name[10] | Conviction | Sentence |
---|---|---|
Zafran Ramzan | rape, 2 charges of sexual activity with a child | 9 years |
Razwan Razaq | 2 charges of sexual activity with a child | 11 years |
Umar Razaq | sexual activity with a child | 4.5 years |
Adil Hussain | sexual activity with a child | 4 years |
Mohsin Khan | sexual activity with a child | 4 years |
The guilty men were told by the judge that, "the message must go out loud and clear that our society will not tolerate sexual predators preying on children."[10] Razwan Razaq who had a previous conviction for indecently assaulting a young girl in his car and had breached a previous sexual offences prevention order was given the longest sentence. All five men were placed on the sex offenders register.[12]
The Times investigation
In September 2012, a series of investigations by The Times based on confidential police and social services documents, stated that the abuse had been much more widespread than acknowledged.[13][14] It said that there was systematic abuse of white girls by some Asian men (mostly of Pakistani origin)[15] in Rotherham for which people were not being prosecuted.[16][17]
The newspaper cited a 2010 report by the police intelligence bureau which discussed "a problem with networks of Asian offenders both locally and nationally" which was "particularly stressed in Sheffield and even more so in Rotherham, where there appears to be a significant problem with networks of Asian males exploiting young white females".[17][14] It also referred to a document from the Rotherham Safeguarding Children Board that stated that the "crimes had 'cultural characteristics...which are locally sensitive in terms of diversity'".[17]
South Yorkshire Police denied these accusations, saying that The Times was wrong and that to suggest the police force was deliberately withholding information was "a gross distortion and unfair on the teams of dedicated specialists working to tackle the problem."[13]
Reactions
Rotherham's former MP, Denis MacShane, criticised the police for concealing the extent of the abuse, saying "it is clear that the internal trafficking of barely pubescent girls is much more widespread and I regret that the police did not tell Yorkshire MPs about their inquiries."[13]
Lord Ahmed called for mosque leaders in South Yorkshire to highlight the problem of sex exploitation.[18] He said the issue was a "new phenomenon within the Asian community" and that "it's important that the community, rather than going silent... talk about it."[18] Muhbeen Hussain, founder of Rotherham Muslim Youth group, said all communities denounced the exploitation and that "we need Muslim leaders to go out there and condemn this and make it clear it's wrong."[18] The chairman of the Pakistan and Muslim Centre in Sheffield, Mohammed Ali said the South Yorkshire mosques, the imams and the committee members had discussed this situation that "needs to be tackled."[18]
In November 2012, Rotherham Council identified 58 possible victims of sexual exploitation.[19] The director of Children and Young People's Services attributed the rise from 50 of the previous year to increased public awareness.[19] A national report by the Office of Children's Commissioner, also published in November, found that thousands of children were sexually abused by gangs in England each year.[19]
Home Affairs Select Committee
In October 2012, the Home Affairs Select Committee criticised South Yorkshire's chief constable, David Compton, and one of its top officers, Philip Etheridge, for their handling of child sex abuse.[14] The committee heard evidence that three members of a family connected with the abuse of 61 girls were not convicted, and an unconvicted 22-year-old man was found in a car with a 12-year-old girl with indecent images of her on his phone.[14] David Compton said that "ethnic origin" was not a factor in deciding whether to charge suspects.[14] The committee said that they were very concerned, as was the public.[14]
In January 2013, the head of Rotherham Council, Martin Kimber, was summoned to the select committee to explain the lack of arrests for sexual exploitation, despite South Yorkshire Police saying it was conducting several investigations and the council having identified 58 young girls at risk.[16] MP Keith Vaz questioned why, after the five Asian men were jailed in 2010, more was not being done: "In Lancashire there were 100 prosecutions the year before last, in South Yorkshire there were no prosecutions". The council apologised for its "systemic failure" that had "let down" the victims of child sexual exploitation.[16]
Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham
In November 2013, it was announced that Professor Alexis Jay, a former chief social work adviser to the Scottish government, would lead an independent inquiry for Rotherham Council, into the local authority's handling of cases involving child exploitation since 1997.[2]
The Inquiry's initial report was published on 26 August 2014.[1] The report, commissioned by Rotherham Borough Council, revealed that the number of children sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013 was, by "conservative estimate", at least 1,400.[1] According to the report, children as young as eleven were "raped by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities in England, beaten and intimidated." Three previous inquiries - held in 2002, 2003 and 2006[20] - had presented similar findings but, according to the report, had been "effectively suppressed" because officials "did not believe the data".[3] Dr Angie Heal, a strategic drugs analyst who had prepared the 2003 report, had noted three years after its publication - according to Professor Jay - that "the appeal of organised sexual exploitation for Asian gangs had changed. In the past, it had been for their personal gratification, whereas now it offered 'career and financial opportunities to young Asian men who got involved'."[5]
Abuses described by the report included abduction, rape and sex trafficking of children.[4] The inquiry team found examples of "children who had been doused in petrol and threatened with being set alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they told anyone".[3] The report further stated that "one child who was being prepared to give evidence received a text saying the perpetrator had her younger sister and the choice of what happened next was up to her. She withdrew her statements. At least two other families were terrorised by groups of perpetrators, sitting in cars outside the family home, smashing windows, making abusive and threatening phone calls. On some occasions child victims went back to perpetrators in the belief that this was the only way their parents and other children in the family would be safe. In the most extreme cases, no one in the family believed that the authorities could protect them."[1] The report highlighted the role of taxi drivers in the town in facilitating the abuse.[21]
While the majority of perpetrators were known to be Asian or of Pakistani heritage, several council staff described themselves as being nervous about identifying the ethnic origins of perpetrators for fear of being thought racist; others, the report noted, "remembered clear direction from their managers" not to make such identification.[22] One Home Office researcher, attempting to raise concerns with senior police officers in 2002 over the level of abuse, was told not to do so again, and was subsequently suspended and sidelined.[23] The report noted that the police showed lack of respect for the victims, who were deemed "undesirables".[23]
Reactions
Members of the British-Pakistani community condemned the sexual abuses and the cover-up by authorities out of fear of "giving oxygen" to racism.[5] Nazir Afzal, the Crown Prosecution Service's lead on child sexual abuse, himself a Muslim, said that the abuse had no basis in Islam and was caused by negative views of women present in all sectors. He also claimed "Where you have Pakistani men, Asian men, disproportionately employed in the night-time economy, they are going to be more involved in this kind of activity than perhaps white men are."[24] In response, the journalist Dan Hodges said that Afzal's "statements are staggering" and that he "should be sacked" for "seek[ing] to deny this [political correctness] was a factor in the crimes."[25]
Council leader, Roger Stone, of the Labour Party, resigned - an act of contrition the report said should have been made years earlier[23] - saying he would take full responsibility for "the historic failings described so clearly in the report."[3][22] Chief Executive, Martin Kimber said no council officers would face disciplinary action.[22] Kimber announced on 8 September that he intended to step down in December 2014, and offered his "sincere apology to those who were let down".[26]
Shaun Wright, the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for South Yorkshire from 2012, was the Labour councillor in charge of child safety at the council for five years from 2005-10.[27] He refused demands to resign as PCC from members of his own party and local Labour MP Sarah Champion, saying: "I believe I am the most appropriate person to hold this office at this current time."[28] He resigned from the Labour Party on 27 August 2014,[29] after an ultimatum by the party to either resign or face suspension from the party.[30] Wright remains South Yorkshire's PCC.[29]
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, described the failures of police and council agencies to deal with child sex abuse as a complete dereliction of duty. She said that "institutionalised political correctness" had contributed to the authorities turning a blind eye to the abuse.[6]
Denis MacShane, who was the MP for Rotherham between 1994 and his resignation in 2012, said in a BBC radio interview that that no-one had come to him with child abuse allegations during that period, but commented he should have "burrowed into" the issue. He admitted that although he had argued with a local MP and members of the local council who had objected to the press investigation into the child abuse, as a "Guardian reader, and liberal leftie" he had avoided confronting the Muslim community, explaining: "I think there was a culture of not wanting to rock the multicultural community boat if I may put it like that."[31]
Simon Danczuk, Labour MP for Rochdale, stated that an "unhealthy brand of politics 'imported' from Pakistan" was "partly to blame for the cover-up of mass child abuse in Rotherham". He said that “There are cultural issues around the way politics are done in the Asian community which have to change.”[32]
Subsequent investigations
The Chief Constable of South Yorkshire Police, David Crompton, said on 2 September that an independent report had been commissioned to "examine the role of both the police and council... and address any wrongdoings or failings," led by a different police force.[8]
On 10 September 2014, the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles, announced that an independent investigation would be held into whether Rotherham Council covered up information about the abuse. The investigation would be led by Louise Casey, Director-General of the government's Troubled Families programme, and would examine the council's governance, services for children and young people, and taxi and private hire licensing. It would report by November. Pickles said that " the rare step of a statutory inspection is in the public interest... We cannot undo the permanent harm that these children have suffered. But we can and should take steps to ensure that this never happens again and make sure that all local authorities deliver on their essential duty to protect vulnerable children."[9]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997 – 2013)". Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. 26 August 2014.: see p. 92 Cite error: The named reference "report" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ a b "Alexis Jay will lead child abuse failings probe at Rotherham". BBC News. 1 November 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Rotherham child abuse scandal: 1,400 children exploited, report finds". BBC News. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Saul, Heather (26 August 2014). "Rotherham child abuse report finds 1,400 children subjected to 'appalling' sexual exploitation within 16-year period". The Independent. London. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "Real or imagined: Racism 'fear' over Rotherham child abuse". BBC News. 27 August 2014.
- ^ a b "May blames 'institutionalised political correctness' for Rotherham scandal". The Guardian. 2 September 2014.
- ^ Gordon Rayner, "Denis MacShane: I was too much of a 'liberal leftie' and should have done more to investigate child abuse", The Telegraph, 27 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014
- ^ a b "Rotherham child abuse scandal: South Yorkshire Police starts probe", BBC News, 2 September 2014
- ^ a b "Rotherham Council to be subject of independent inspection", BBC News, 10 September 2014
- ^ a b c "Five Rotherham men jailed for child sex offences". BBC. 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Five men guilty in Rotherham Asian grooming case". The Yorkshire Post. 4 November 2010.
- ^ "Five guilty of grooming teenage girls for sex". London: Independent. 5 November 2010.
- ^ a b c "South Yorkshire Police deny hiding girls' sex abuse". BBC News. 24 September 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "South Yorkshire Police 'must get a grip' on child abuse". BBC News. 16 October 2012.
- ^ "MPs seek hidden files on Rotherham sex-grooming". The Times. 9 January 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2013.
- ^ a b c "Rotherham council apologises to child grooming victims". BBC News. 8 January 2013.
- ^ a b c "Police files reveal vast child protection scandal". The Times. Retrieved 23 January 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Lord Ahmed calls on mosques 'to speak' about sex abuse". BBC News. 28 September 2012.
- ^ a b c "Rotherham sex abuse: More girls at risk". BBC. 21 November 2012.
- ^ Peachey, Paul (26 August 2014). "Rotherham child abuse scandal: Threats and collusion kept justice at bay". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Khaleeli, Homa (3 September 2014). "Rotherham: 'It's sad that it's taken something so horrific to give voice to these girls'". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
- ^ a b c Becky Johnson, "'Horrific' Cases Of Child Abuse In Rotherham." Sky News, 26 August 2014.
- ^ a b c Peachey, Paul (26 August 2014). "Rotherham child abuse report: 1,400 children subjected to 'appalling' sexual exploitation over 16-years". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Gentleman, Amelia (3 September 2014). "Nazir Afzal: 'There is no religious basis for the abuse in Rotherham'". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 September 2014.
- ^ "How can the man in charge of child protection say Rotherham had nothing to do with race?". The Telegraph. 4 September 2014.
- ^ "Rotherham child abuse: Martin Kimber, council chief exec, to step down", BBC News, 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014
- ^ Pidd, Helen (27 August 2014). "Shaun Wright's record in Rotherham comes under uncomfortable scrutiny". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ "Rotherham child abuse: Police commissioner will stay on", BBC News, 27 August 2014
- ^ a b "Rotherham child abuse: Police commissioner quits Labour". BBC News. London. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ "Police Commissioner Shaun Wright Will Be Suspended By Labour If He Does Not Resign". Huffington Post (UK). London. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
- ^ Gordon Rayner, "Denis MacShane: I was too much of a 'liberal leftie' and should have done more to investigate child abuse", The Telegraph, 27 August 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014
- ^ "Rotherham: politics 'imported from Pakistan' fuelled sex abuse cover-up – MP". The Daily Telegraph. 31 August 2014.
External links
- Jay, Alexis (21 August 2014). "Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham (1997–2013)". Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
- "Rotherham child abuse scandal: The background to the report". BBC News. 26 August 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2014.