Following yesterday’s publication of a harrowing report into child sexual exploitation in Telford, Shropshire Lib Dem councillors called on the police and local councils must work together to implement the recommendations of an independent inquiry led by Tom Crowther QC.
The report found that child sexual exploitation thrived in Telford despite people working with children, including police officers, youth workers and teachers expressing concern. Those concerns were not taken sufficiently seriously by Telford & Wrekin council or West Mercia Police. The inquiry found that more than a thousand Telford children were exploited over decades and obvious signs of child sexual exploitation ignored. Nervousness about race, the main perpetrators were of Asian background, meant information was not properly shared between agencies and cases were not investigated. Some bodies dismissed child sexual exploitation as child prostitution and even blamed the children instead of the perpetrators. Teachers and youth workers were discouraged from reporting signs of child sexual exploitation.
The leaders of the Lib Dem groups on Telford & Wrekin and Shropshire councils said the report has given the victims a voice. The lessons learnt should never be forgotten and Crowther’s recommendations must be implemented.
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