MP 'almost 100 per cent sure' scale of child sexual exploitation in Bradford worse than in Rotherham

Robbie Moore, the Conservative MP for Keighley, wants a more in-depth investigation into the problems in the Bradford district after a report in July revealed that some children still remain at risk.

He said he is “almost 100 per cent sure” the issue is worse in Bradford than the scandal in Rotherham detailed in Prof Alexis Jay’s 2014 report, which estimated 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the South Yorkshire town from 1997 to 2013.

He added he was “incredibly frustrated” by the apparent resistance to an inquiry from Bradford Council and West Yorkshire Mayor Tracy Brabin.

Senior figures at the council and involved with The Bradford Partnership - a multi-agency body which works to safeguard children - are instead calling for the issue to be looked at nationally.

“When you're looking at the Bradford district gang grooming and gang child sexual exploitation has gone on for far too long,” Mr Moore told The Yorkshire Post.

“What I'm having thrown back to me by the local authority and by Tracy Brabin our West Yorkshire mayor, is that this is a national issue. It is not a Bradford issue, and I absolutely disagree on that.

“Because you have to absolutely look at the manner in which child sexual exploitation is carried out on an area by area basis, where there are where there are common dominating factors and you absolutely see that in the Bradford district."

His calls follow on from the Rotherham inquiry, led by Professor Alexis Jay which in 2014 identified that at least 1,400 children had been sexually exploited in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

“What we don’t know at the moment in the Bradford district is the scale of the issue. We obviously have some indication of the scale of the issue in Rotherham because of the Alexis Jay report - we understand the scale of the issue in Rotherham,” Mr Moore said.

“I absolutely feel that it will be far worse in Bradford than what it is in Rotherham. The scale of this issue. I’m almost 100 per cent sure on that, the scale of child sexual exploitation in Bradford district, it will be far worse than what it is in Rotherham.”

The issue was raised in Parliament this week, with Justice Minister James Cartlidge saying that the Government expects local authorities to take the lead on any further action. Ms Brabin and Bradford Council’s leader, Susan Hinchcliffe, maintained that every effort was being taken to prevent child sexual exploitation in the Bradford district.

Coun Hinchcliffe said: “This has been a national failing, not just a local one.”