Only part 1 of the report out so far. This makes it clear that the police, council and social services failed to protect children on a massive and sickening scale.
I’ve read the report. I’m not confident things are much better now, though they are certainly trying to paint that as the case.
Hundreds of girls (and some boys) have had their lives irretrievably damaged by what was going on. Very few perpetrators have been brought to justice, meaning that a large number remain free. Who knows how many time’s they have offended since, and how many more lives they have ruined.
2 things stand out. First, that the authorities treated these girls as inconveniences, second class citizens,
Not worthy of the protection of the law.
Second, perhaps more glaringly, that the authorities put local and national race relations ahead of systematic rape of children. They were afraid to act because of the racial make up of the offenders.
Let’s put the perspective here that apologists will no doubt try to point to. Child sexual abuse as a whole is not limited to a particular race/class of person. There are seen as 2 types of child sexual abuse/exploitation
First is the type that is behind closed doors in homes around the country, predominantly perpetrated by family members or people known to/close to the victims. Predominantly carried out by white males. Around 80% of the offending. Offenders from around 40% of the population (split on gender as well as ethnicity)
The second is the type referred to by the report and so often in the media. On street grooming. Often in public view. By interlinked groups of offender. Often with interlinked victims, usually white females with difficult backgrounds and unstable lives.It is not unfair to say that this type of offence is committed overwhelmingly by men of Pakistani heritage. Around 90%. By around 1% of the population. That is something that cannot be ignored. It is also something that the authorities deliberately chose to ignore , to the detriment of thousands of children around the country.
The first type, when detected , is almost always prosecuted.
The problem with this type (type 2) is that it has been brushed under the carpet.
Shame on the authorities for letting these children down. There has to be accountability.
Already there are signs of a cover up to prevent this. Minutes from the top level meetings, where the decision to terminate Operation Augusta in particular, were taken, cannot be found. Nobody can tell us who ultimately made that decision. That is either incredibly convenient, or incredibly inconvenient.
Part 2 of the report will have more focus on Rochdale and the council failings there. This comes in the back of the iicsa enquiry that found failings in protecting children in care there in the 80s. This also found the leader at the time to be a liar.
Oldham will also hold their own inquiry (to be carried out by the same team responsible for this most recent review)
Speculation is rife. Some say That the report may show that the ‘blind eye’ was turned for political gain, to secure lucrative postal votes support of large communities. This remains to be seen. Personally my feeling is that then individuals involved, working in a culture where political correctness being enforced could cost jobs, were too afraid to be the one to say what was as plain as day.
What is certain is that children have been let down. There are people that must be held to account. I hope that this happens.
