Rotherham MP calls for ‘major new centre’ to support victims

By The Press Association27th February 2015News EnglandChild Abuse, News England, Rotherham, Sexual Abuse, Victim Support

Government cuts to Rotherham police and council are “compounding the horror” of the child sexual exploitation scandal when what is needed is a major new centre to support victims, the town’s MP has said.

Sarah Champion welcomed the announcement by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles of £250,000 over two years to support the work of new commissioners sent in to take over the local authority.

But she said this was a “drop in the ocean” of what victims and survivors needed, in a Commons adjournment debate.

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

The Labour MP said: “I would like the Minister to recognise that Rotherham police force has to pay for the intervention of the National Crime Agency from Rotherham’s policing budget.

“Rotherham Council has to pay for the Casey Report and the subsequent commissioners from Rotherham’s existing resources.

“This is taking more money away from a town that needs more resources, not less, at a time when our police budget has been reduced by the Government by 20% and the local authority budget has been reduced by 40%.

“How are we realistically meant to cope? Why is the Government compounding the horror we already endure?”

The Rotherham MP said the town currently had only two dedicated child sexual exploitation workers – one funded via Ms Champion’s office with emergency funding from the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, and one by the charity Barnardo’s.

Ms Champion said: “Yes, there are social workers, councillors and police officers all working in child sexual exploitation but there are only two people dedicated to supporting at least 1,400 victims and survivors. Just two.

“I need the Government to recognise Rotherham needs specific intervention to allow us to move forward. We need a fully independent unit that is just there to support victims and survivors of child sexual exploitation.”

Ms Champion urged the Government to fund the dedicated new centre, and to set it up on a charitable basis and including Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), council, police, survivors, parents and the voluntary sector representatives on its board.

She said cash announced by Mr Pickles could “seed fund” the centre, which was a model that could be replicated nation wide.

The MP added: “The unit I propose will work in three ways: early intervention and prevention with a team of youth workers, survivors, volunteers, family support workers, parent workers and health workers.

“They would deliver education and training to professionals and parents, early prevention work with young people in education and community settings, and give awareness sessions to the community at large.

“Secondly, it would provide support and intervention to young people at risk and involved in grooming and sexual exploitation.

“Finally, the unit would offer direct one to one support, help with intelligence sharing and gathering, strategy meetings and s47 investigations. In addition, there would need to be interpreters, policy writers and creche workers.”

Ms Champion used her debate to urge the Government to back a new single location for the coordination of evidence from victims.

She said currently, children and young people who have suffered at the hands of abusers have to tell their story over and over again.

A dedicated CPS team and a Government-funded remote link to court was needed, she said.

Ms Champion told the Commons: “If we keep demanding of their time, they will withdraw their good will and the case will be lost.”

Replying to the adjournment debate, Lynne Featherstone, the Liberal Democrat minister for child sexual exploitation, described the findings in the Alexis Jay report as “grave indeed” and said they represented a “complete dereliction of duty”.

She added: “Unfortunately the extent of child sex exploitation in Rotherham is far from unique and we need to confront these failures at a national level. This Government is committed to doing so.

“Child sexual abuse is a despicable crime and this Government is absolutely determined to eradicate it.

“In the past, all too often, these horrific crimes were ignored, but now child sexual abuse is rightly centre stage as an issue and we must work together to tackle it.”