Known as the "Rochdale Grooming" case, over 1400 vulnerable children were systematically abused by gangs of men between 2005 and 2013. She's now in her late 20s. One example mentioned was the issue of child protection for one of the victims, which was discussed in 40 meetings, without any record of police attendance. Social workers focused on young people's high-risk behaviour and "not their vulnerability", the latest review found. Read about our approach to external linking. Cryer said, "Neither the police nor social services would touch those cases. The inspector concluded the abuse could have stopped if the authorities had stepped in sooner. "Eventually I moved out of the area as I couldn't stay there anymore.". The victims, many of whom were from difficult backgrounds and therefore particularly vulnerable, were plied with drugs, alcohol and fast food, and then taken to chill houses across the north of England to be abused. The report also showed that more than 3,000 children under the age of 18 were reported missing in Greater Manchester in 2014. Men alleged to be part of a child-grooming ring in Rochdale were never brought to justice because the evidence of teenage victims was not pursued, according a former police officer. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) investigated Kabeer Hassan and another man, aged 59. Five of the girls had "clearly" needed help and intervention by safeguarding agencies before the abuse began, the report said. In 2019, Amber, along with two other victims, with the help of the Centre for Womens Justice, issued a civil claim for damages against GMP and the director of public prosecutions (DPP). Updated 10:47, 10 JUN 2020. When police were called to a report of a 15-year-old girl smashing up the Balti House takeaway in Heywood, they had no idea that the crime they had uncovered would become a national scandal. And Ive done nothing wrong I was a victim of these men at the age of 14. Two worked for the same taxi firm and another two worked at a takeaway restaurant; some came from the same village in Pakistan and another two men shared a flat. I didnt know what that meant. She was held in custody for hours before being released on bail. She specifically spoke of her abuse at the hands of two members of the gang who would later be jailed four years. I agreed to help the police to stop it happening to others, Amber wrote to Oliver in the midst of her campaign for justice. Their treatment encompasses a range of catastrophic errors in one of the countrys most harrowing child sexual abuse scandals. One of the victims given the fictitious name Amber in Three Girls, the BBC One drama about the abuse was 14 when she was targeted by gang members. ', "We haven't sorted out a solution to these really complex issues about young people.". Greater Manchester Police said officers are becoming want to make sure Payton is 'safe and well'. Indeed one witness, said in the course of the trial that he did not wish to be seen with young white girls in his community in Oldham.. Read about our approach to external linking. "They threaten you, and you're scared of them, and that's how they make you do it.". [9] The men were aged between 24-59 and all knew each other. BBC Ones new drama Three Girls launched on Tuesday to five million viewers. Amber still sees those whom she says raped, beat and tortured her, out and about in Rochdale. Finally, after a gruelling 18 months and several hearings, the judge threw the case out. He said that of convictions involving child sexual exploitation, 87% were of British Pakistani men and it was a significant problem for that community. "I was scared telling them, because I didn't know what the consequences would be from the men. "We would get free alcohol and cigarettes, food, free taxis," she said. The National Association for People Abused in Childhood (Napac) offers support for adult survivors on 0808 801 0331. Her mother was not allowed to be with her during the interview, and there was no mention of an appropriate adult. Craving love and attention, Amber was lured into a nightmare, subjected to repeated and often violent sexual abuse. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. We were making referrals from 2004, very explicit referrals, referrals which absolutely highlighted for protective services that young people were incredibly vulnerable, she said. Despite one victim going to the police in 2008 to report the child grooming, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided not to prosecute two men, invoking the witness's lack of credibility. "Our understanding [of these crimes] at the time wasn't as developed and our practice wasn't as improved as it is today. The networks of men come from different backgrounds: in the North and Midlands many have been British Asians; in Devon it was white men; in Bath and Bristol, Afro-Caribbeans; in London, all ethnic mixes, whites, Iraqis, Kurds, Afghans, Somalis". It is committed by abusers from all walks of life, ethnicities, cultures and classes and it robs children of their childhoods and tears families apart. Her evidence helped put abusers behind bars, yet Amber was vilified by the authorities and says her torment will never end. "[36] Narey rejected the idea that such gangs were specifically targeting white girls, but suggested vulnerable girls on the street were more likely to be white since Asian girls were subjected to strict parenting and were more likely to be kept off the streets. [1] One 13-year-old victim recounted that, after being forced to have sex in exchange for vodka, her abuser immediately raped her again and gave her 40 to not say anything about the incident. As a responsible publication the M.E.Ns editors respected this request from senior detectives at GMP and eventually our story was published a few months later. There was a "shocking" inability to protect seven vulnerable girls from sexual exploitation, a report into the Rochdale grooming case has said. [25] Furthermore, The Times article alleged: "with the exception of one town there is scant evidence of work being undertaken in British Pakistani communities to confront the problem" of "pimping gangs" largely consisting of "members of the British Pakistani community". One in five children and young people who go missing from home or care is at risk of serious harm, with major concerns about the links between children running away and the risks of child sexual exploitation, it said. [16], The trial concluded in May 2012 with the nine convictions. Numerous opportunities to intervene were missed and only two girls received child protection planning, the report said. [2], The victims, vulnerable teenagers from deprived, dysfunctional backgrounds, were targeted in "honeypot locations" where young people congregated, such as takeaway food shops. She told me: It wasnt like a forced thing. *To protect her identity the victim's name has been changed. [14] The CPS's original decision was overturned in 2011 when a new chief prosecutor for the region, Nazir Afzal, a first generation British-Pakistani,[15] was appointed. Police said the victims were from chaotic, council estate backgrounds and as many as 50 girls could have been victims of the gang. Last month we met Daisy*, who found herself at the centre of the scandal all those years ago. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. [35] "The citations are correct but they have been taken out of context," Cockbain told The Independent; "Nor do they acknowledge the small sample size of the original research, which focused on just two large cases." Some of you acted as you did to satiate your lust, some of you to make money, all of you treated them as though they were worthless and beyond respect.. The review recommended a "speedy resolution" to leadership failures. 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The victims were coerced and bribed into keeping quiet about the abuse by a combination of alcohol and drugs, food, small sums of money and other gifts. Charity Victim Support's chief executive Javed Khan said: "It is utterly unacceptable that, instead of protecting these vulnerable young victims from sexual exploitation, the authorities judged, blamed and disbelieved them and their families and, in doing so, exposed these victims to further abuse. To keep up with Rochdale news sign up to the MyRochdale newsletter here. It drew statistics from organisations such as Barnardo's but the findings were considered inconclusive by expert academics because not all the figures had been compiled in the same way and ethnicity had not always been noted with each reported crime. [45] In particular they pointed out that the inquiry by the Office of the Children's Commissioner[33] found that, while a majority of victims were white and a majority of perpetrators were men of South Asian descent, there were many cases where "perpetrators and their victims were ethnically diverse. She continued to receive phone calls from her abusers, and cars with drivers she recognised were parking outside. 2023 BBC. 2023 BBC. [5] The girls were mainly White British. Last Tuesday Amber, with two other victims of the Rochdale grooming gang, finally received an apology delivered personally by Stephen Watson, the chief constable of Greater Manchester police (GMP). "It will always be there, but I know how to deal with it," she said. Child sexual exploitation has been uncovered in towns, cities and counties all over the country and it affects both girls and boys from all backgrounds. In May 2012, nine men from Rochdale were convicted and jailed for grooming girls with alcohol, drugs and gifts before forcing them to have sex with multiple men. "Why have I still got a criminal record? In this case the judge did indicate his belief that the Rochdale gang had deliberately sought victims outside their own community. VideoAt the crash site of 'no hope' - BBC reporter in Greece, How fake copyright complaints are muzzling journalists, How 10% of Nigerian registered voters delivered victory, Sake brewers toast big rise in global sales, The Indian-American CEO who wants to be US president, Blackpink lead top stars back on the road in Asia, Exploring the rigging claims in Nigeria's elections, 'Wales is in England' gaffe sparks TikToker's trip. Ten months after her case had been dropped, police decided to revisit the case after more complaints emerged. Id been used. Why is it me that suffers still?". 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