A report from the Independent inquiry into child sexual abuse has found “extensive failures” in the way child sexual exploitation by criminal gangs is tackled.
Over the course of two months in 2020, the inquiry heard evidence from more than 30 witnesses which revealed how police and local authorities failed to properly tackle the problem.
Evidence offered only a glimpse of the ordeals suffered by young victims.
One victim, identified only as CS-A371, said her parents were heroin addicts and she was taken into foster care when she was 10 years old. From the age of 13 she was regularly sexually exploited by adult men who also supplied her with alcohol, cannabis and cigarettes. They were subsequently prosecuted, but the victim described the trial as “very much like I was being bullied” and said defence barristers accused her of being racist and “a slag”.
Another victim, CS-A372, grew up in a family where there was neglect and domestic violence. From the age of 12 she was sexually exploited by a 30-year-old man who forced her to have sex with other men. She said children’s social care opened and closed her case on multiple occasions, with records showing one of the reasons behind a decision to close her case was because they thought she was “putting herself at risk”. Aged 14, she was forced to perform oral sex on more than 20 adult men. This was also filmed. A number of men were charged, although the charges were later dropped.
CS-A317 spent her childhood in a number of council-run children’s homes. From the age of 14, she was sexually abused and made to have sexual intercourse with adult men. She said staff in the children’s homes were “aware that she was having sex with an older male” but were dismissive and took no action to protect her. The abuse escalated and she said when she was 18 years old, she was raped by the main perpetrator of her exploitation. No action was taken by the police, who considered that she had consented. She had a breakdown and tried to take her own life. CS-A317 felt that “it was easier for the police to criminalise the children rather than go after the abusing adults”.
In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support for rape and sexual abuse on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html
