Sarah Champion MP Urges Government to Act after Exposing Failures to Communicate with Survivors of Child Sexual Exploitation in Rotherham
Sarah Champion MP has sought to change the law to address failures to properly notify survivors of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham that offenders were being considered for transfer to open prisons.
Sarah is currently serving as a member of the Bill Committee for the police and Crime Bill and used a hearing to highlight repeated failures to properly notify two different constituents.
Despite being entitled to notification under the Victim Contact Scheme, neither survivor was contacted ahead of hearings to decide on transfers. In one case, the survivor was notified two months after the transfer had taken place.
Commenting, Sarah said:
“It is outrageous that, despite their obligations, the authorities failed to notify survivors that those who abused them in such an awful manner as children may soon be walking the streets. Imagine the trauma of seeing these criminals in a supermarket when you thought they were in a cell?’
‘The fact that I had two near identical cases brought to me, despite assurances I received from the Government after highlighting the first, shows just how dysfunctional the current system is. The Government is continuing to let down victims of crime in Rotherham and across the country.”
Sarah has tabled an amendment to the Police and Crime Bill which would impose a statutory duty on authorities to consult with victims of crime ahead of any decision on parole or transfer to open conditions.
Speaking during the Committee hearing, Sarah said:
“Something is going horribly wrong. We have a system in which, twice in six months, victims of the most serious crime have been let down by the state. … I am one MP and I have had two cases in the past six months, so it concerns me that this is happening all over the country, but survivors would not think to go to their MP to get it raised. The transfer of offenders guilty of serious offences to open conditions after just a quarter of their sentence is deeply wrong.”
Commenting on her amendment, Sarah said:
“The Government has repeatedly pledged to stand up for victims of crime, but we are still seeing huge failures on their watch. I hope that they will support my amendment and deliver the care, compassion and support victims of crime in Rotherham deserve.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Sarah’s remarks to the Committee can be found at: