Sarah Champion MP responds to publication of Home Office report into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation: Characteristics of Offending
Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, said:
This report is hugely welcomed, and I am glad the Government are finally taking seriously the national threat of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) by organised networks.
The reason I have spent the last six years campaigning to raise the awareness of so-called Grooming Gangs, is because I want to prevent them. I know the police have changed beyond recognition in relation to this hideous crime, but since my first meeting with Prime Minister Cameron and his Cabinet in March 2015, I’ve consistently asked the Government to deliver a practical document that alerts professionals to the early signs of a child being groomed so the abuse never happens.
Sadly, this report raises more questions than it answers, and the Government needs to quickly address its shortcomings in child protection and subsequent support for victims and survivors.
I am also concerned that this report fails to address the general lack of reporting by victims, but especially boys, disabled children and those from black and ethnic minority backgrounds.
The Government needs to promote a shift in focus to prevention and early intervention. They need to closely monitor the effectiveness of local safeguarding partnerships, rather than seemingly taking this horrendous crime as inevitable.
Going forwards, I want to see a nationally recognised and approved set of triggers that, once met, require local authorities to provide support for children showing signs of harm, rather than the current postcode lottery when it comes to help.
Finally, the Government must accept that all children are vulnerable because they are children. However, children’s vulnerabilities would never be exposed without perpetrators looking to exploit of them. All children deserve the protection of the state and appropriate resources must be found to allow that.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
· Sarah Champion has been the MP for Rotherham since November 2012. In 2014, Professor Alexis Jay uncovered the extent of past CSE in the town, shocking the world.
· Sarah has been an active campaigner to prevent all forms of child abuse; creating the website www.dare2care.org.uk and bringing in legal changes on grooming and mandatory relationship education for all Primary school children.
· Sarah formed and Chaired the CSE working group of over 40 MPs with cases of group based CSE gangs in their constituencies. She led the group to lobby the then Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, to commission today’s report
· Sarah Champion MP is a member of the External Reference Group for this report. The External Reference Group is intended to provide expert advice, scrutiny, and constructive challenge on the paper to ensure it reflects as accurate picture as possible.
· The Home Office report was published on 15 December 2020, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/group-based-child-sexual-exploitation-characteristics-of-offending
Contact information: Email jacquie.falvey@parliament.uk or call 01709 331035