Child sex abuse trial: Police and council welcome guilty verdicts

DETECTIVES, councillors and politicians have welcomed the guilty verdicts passed on three men and two women for 45 child sex offences.

The jury in the Rotherham child sex abuse trial today returned guilty verdicts on five out of seven defendants after more than three days of deliberations.

Another defendant admitted ten offences before the trial, meaning six people are guilty of 55 offences against 15 young girls.

Det Chief Insp Martin Tate, of South Yorkshire Police, said the verdicts were “the first step in learning from mistakes in how the police deal with CSE”.

He said: “I am very pleased for the victims and that they have finally got justice.

“The amount of trauma they suffered is unbelievable and we asked them to put their trust in us and I am very grateful they did.”

Peter Mann, from the Crown Prosecution Service, said the victims showed “great courage” throughout the investigation and trial.

He said: “I hope that anyone in Rotherham that has been a victim of sexual abuse can now feel more confident as a result of this verdict.”

South Yorkshire's police and crime commissioner Dr Alan Billings said the trial has once again put Rotherham “at the centre of a firestorm”.

Dr Billings said: “Naturally the media has turned its attention back to Rotherham again.

“But I think today is the beginning of more trials. I promised the people of Rotherham there would be people in court for CSE when I was elected and this is just the start.”

Chief Supt Jason Harwin, of South Yorkshire Police, also praised the bravery of the victims.

He said: “The result is testimony to the bravery and courage of the survivors that ultimately have had no faith in the past.

“Once they have had faith they have been willing to stand up in the dock and face those that have made them subject to horrific events in the past and have hopefully seen justice to have been done.”

Rotherham Borough Council leader Chris Reed said the verdict was not a cause for “celebration”.

He said: “The positive from this is that we are seeing justice done. We knew when the Jay report was published there were really serious failings over a long period of time.

“Now we have got to get those services right. We can't change the past but we can help secure justice and this is day one of that.”

Ian Thomas, strategic director for children and young people's services at Rotherham Council, said it had been an “emotional day” for him.

Mr Thomas said: “Today signals a change. It’s a reflection of how well we are working together as a council, with the police and the voluntary sector.

“I have been in the post for just over a year and today has been a very emotional day but it is a day for the victims and survivors of CSE.

“I think people in Rotherham should be proud of the girls involved today that they have got justice. When I have been speaking to the good people of Rotherham they have told me this is what they wanted.”

 

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