A recent report has exposed the systemic failings of Greater Manchester police and local authorities to protect children who were being groomed and sexually abused by gangs of men in Rochdale.
The independent report was produced at the request of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Greater Manchester and was based on information provided to them by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, Greater Manchester Police, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, and Rochdale Borough Council.
The report found that there was compelling evidence of widespread organised sexual exploitation of children in Rochdale from 2004 onwards. The report found that concerns were being raised as early as 2005 about the widespread sexual exploitation of children in Rochdale and yet no action was taken to assess the risk posed by the abusers or to disrupt the abuse or prosecute the perpetrators.
A multi-agency approach was required to provide the ongoing protection of these children but there was a serious failure by the police and local agencies to protect these children who went on to suffer years of horrific sexual abuse.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has commissioned a series of independent reviews into the scandal and said:
“In 2017, two TV programmes were broadcast about child sexual exploitation in Greater Manchester. The first, the Three Girls drama, depicted distressing events in 2012, and the second, The Betrayed Girls documentary, included a former GMP detective who raised concerns publicly about the abrupt termination of an earlier investigation in Manchester – Operation Augusta in 2005.
“The report makes extremely difficult reading. But, it is only by fully facing up to past failures – however painful that is – that we will be able to correct them as best we can and better protect children today.”
We can only hope that lessons will be learned and children will be better protected in the future.
Acting on recommendations made by the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), the Government is to introduce tougher laws and a mandatory reporting requirement if anyone knows or suspects that a child is being sexually exploited. The details are provided here.
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