Exclusive:Grooming gang victims from across country report being trafficked into Bradford for abuse, solicitor reveals
A sexual abuse survivor has claimed Bradford “is at the centre of” many grooming gang cases, as she urged the Government to make the area part of the public inquiry.
Fiona Goddard, who has bravely waived her right to anonymity, told The Yorkshire Post of the ongoing trauma after being groomed and sexually abused by gangs of men while living in a care home in the city from 2008.
In 2019, nine people were found guilty of offences including rape and child prostitution. Ms Goddard, 32, said this was “enabled” by social services and the police.
She urged Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper that an investigation of Bradford be made part of the upcoming public inquiry into grooming gangs.
“Every single victim I’ve met up and down the UK have all been trafficked to Bradford, or have had men from Bradford come,” she said.
“Bradford is at the centre of nearly every single case.”
Her solicitor, Amy Clowrey, a director on the Switalskis child abuse team, confirmed this: “It is crucial that those in positions of authority really listen and understand what survivors of abuse want and need in order to feel better supported and protected.
“It is abundantly clear to those of us that work in this area, that Bradford was a place in which horrific abuse of vulnerable children took place, spanning years.
“Many of our clients, from different parts of the country, report being trafficked to Bradford by their perpetrators to be further abused.
“It is crucial that Bradford is part of any rape gang inquiry and those in positions of authority within West Yorkshire ought to stand with survivors and support their calls.”
West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin said that her combined authority has done “a huge piece of work with Women’s Aid, speaking to victims and survivors”.
Her Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime Alison Lowe recently met with Ms Goddard ahead of the public inquiry.
Ms Brabin added: “West Yorkshire is open, we have nothing to hide, all we want is justice for survivors and we want to stop it happening.”
Speaking about Ms Goddard’s case, Bradford Council leader Coun Susan Hinchliffe added: “The crimes that were committed against Fiona were truly appalling.
"Fiona's case was profiled as part of the Independent Review into CSE in Bradford published in 2021.
"We repeat now that we are truly sorry that agencies were not able to better protect her at the time.
"The learning from that case has been put into practice so agencies can better protect children now."
West Yorkshire Police has hundreds of abuse perpetrators are “now serving lengthy prison sentences totalling thousands of years”.
Assistant Chief Constable Patrick Twiggs said: “Alongside our complex investigative work, we’ve shaped our policing response through working with survivors, charities, and safeguarding partners.”