After Rotherham, ‘200 child sex victims in East Riding’

AS MANY as 200 children could have been subject to sexual exploitation in the East Riding, a councillor has claimed.
Prof Alexis Jay with her report on child sex abuse in RotherhamProf Alexis Jay with her report on child sex abuse in Rotherham
Prof Alexis Jay with her report on child sex abuse in Rotherham

It comes after East Riding councillors voted unanimously for a review into cases dating back to 1999.

Coun Paul Hogan, who called for the in-depth review, had been concerned the council’s review panel, which reported back recently, had only considered cases back to 2011.

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That was despite the findings of Professor Alexis Jay last August in Rotherham who identified a minimum of 1,400 victims over a 14-year period.

Coun Hogan said: “In my opinion there was no in depth analysis of historical child sexual exploitation in the report, I found it a serious omission that there is no mention of how East Riding Council looked for Child Sexual Exploitation in the past, how big an issue it was and what they did to help the victims and their families and also some indication of the outcomes for those victims of previous support and prevention regimes.”

The council’s report earlier this month suggested cases had risen from just five in 2011/12 to 71 in 2013/14.

Last year officials looked at the cases of 79 youngsters “who were of some concern” and decided 14 were subject to CSE.

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Coun Hogan said: “If that is typical for the 15 years in question then it would suggest there have been more than 200 victims.”

Meanwhile, Communities secretary Eric Pickles has named the five commissioners who will take over the running of crisis-hit Rotherham and also promised £250,000 to help set up an outreach project to help victims of child sexual exploitation.

Mr Pickles said Sir Derek Myers will be the Lead Commissioner, Stella Manzie will take the role of the Managing Director Commissioner and Malcolm Newsam will be nominated as Children’s Social Care Commissioner.

He said Mary Ney and Julie Kenny will be supporting commissioners.

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Mr Pickles announced that he would replaced Rotherham Council’s cabinet with appointed commissioners following the Casey Report earlier this month which denounced the authority’s woeful response to CSE in the town.

Louise Casey’s report followed last year’s shocking Jay Report which described how more than 1,400 children had been subjected to rape, trafficking and grooming between 1997 and 2013.

Today, in a written Commons statement, Mr Pickles also referred to the Risky Business project in Rotherham - highlighted in both reports as a beacon of hope in the town but which was effectively closed down by the council.

He said: “The (Casey) report concludes that the critical work undertaken by Risky Business ‘is now missing from Rotherham’. This should not continue, and historic victims of child sexual exploitation should be given the help they need.

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“So, accordingly, subject to being provided with an appropriate business case demonstrating value for money, I am prepared to make available £250,000 over the next two financial years for a Risky Business-style service to be established.”

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