Child sex abuse: the fallout spreads

Our guide to how the third week of the Rotherham child sex abuse unfolded.

THE fallout continues to spread more than two weeks after Prof Alexis Jay published her report, which said at least 1,400 children in Rotherham were exploited, mainly by men of Pakistani heritage, between 1997 and 2013.

Here is how week three of the Rotherham child sex abuse scandal unfolded:

q Monday: Council chief executive Martin Kimber, who announced on Monday he would resign in December, saying the council would benefit from new leadership.

q Tuesday: Police and crime commissioner Shaun Wright, is branded a “charlatan” by MPs after claiming child grooming was not raised with him when he was reponsible for children’s services in Rotherham.

Children’s services director Joyce Thacker is told: “You have known about this all along.”

Former police chief constable Med Hughes is accused by MPs of “gross incompetence at the very least” after saying he was never aware of the scale of the problem.

Chief constable David Crompton says 25 new victims had come forward.

q Wednesday: Council leader Cllr Paul Lakin announces the council’s Cabinet will be dissolved and reduced by two posts to help free up £120,000 for a counselling fund for victims.

Mr Kimber tells MPs that key reports referred to by Prof Jay are missing from the council’s archives.

Police tell businesses 1,000 officers will be on duty for an English Defence League demonstration in the town centre tomorrow.

A spokesman confirms hate crime against Muslims has risen in the past fortnight.

Today: Communities minister Eric Pickles announces that the borough council — guilty of “clearly documented failures” — will be inspected by Louise Casey, who heads the Government’s Troubled Families programme, and could be run from Whitehall depending on the inquiry’s findings.

Mr Wright faces fresh questions at Rotherham Town Hall from the county’s Police and Crime Panel.

He refuses to resign but councillors pass a vote of no confidence.

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