Our kids at risk again in Rochdale?

More concern as figures show more local sex abuse on cards

 

THIS Autumn ten more alleged sexual predators from Rochdale are to go on trial.  This follows on from last year's court case in which nine local men were put away for a total of 77-years last May.  They were found guilty of abusing vulnerable young lasses, but what was more shocking was that it was revealed that the authorities had been tipped off as long ago as 2004 that the lasses were being groomed and suffering sexual exploitation by gangs of older men. 

These gangs operating through local taxi and take-away businesses seemingly had open season to exploit the girls.  Issues have been raised about whether these men had such a seemingly free run because of certain fashionable institutional attitudes which turned a blind eye to specific cultural groups.  Whatever was the case, it is now clear that some folk in positions of responsibility took the view that the girls were 'old enough to make their own choices'.

Since then we are told that Rochdale Council has overhauled its children's social services team, and the police together with the Greater Manchester Police Commissioner Tony Lloyd, have said that child sex exploitation is their number one priority.

Despite all this in Greater Manchester 400 children have been identified as being at risk of sexual exploitation, and 54 of these are in Rochdale.

Last week, Rochdale MP Simon Danczuk told the Rochdale Observer:  'I am not surprised by these figures. Rochdale has some of the highest levels of poverty in parts of the borough and a high number of what the government terms troubled families.'

Last November Mr. Danczuk, together with others, was instumental in exposing the historic scandal the abuse of young lads in Rochdale by the now disgraced former MP for Rochdale Sir Cyril Smith.