MPs to meet police over Rotherham child grooming report

ROTHERHAM borough MPs Sir Kevin Barron, Sarah Champion and John Healey will meet police to discuss the child sexual exploitation scandal tomorrow.

ROTHERHAM borough MPs Sir Kevin Barron (pictured), Sarah Champion and John Healey

will meet police to discuss the child sexual exploitation scandal tomorrow.

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Sir Kevin told the Advertiser his priority was for the perpetrators to be brought to justice but added that council and police officials should also be held to account for their failings.

The Rother Valley MP also criticised the police over their handling of a case of child sexual exploitation he brought to their attention.

Sir Kevin said he got in touch with South Yorkshire Police “more than a decade ago” aboutt the case after the girl’s parents asked him for help.

He added: “They were concerned about the inactivity of the investigation being carried out by South Yorkshire police into what I believed to be a horrendous crime.

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“At that time, South Yorkshire police refused to meet me and the family together, although I did have meetings with them.

“I am not one who wants to direct the police and tell them what they should be doing on a day-to-day basis — that is not a matter for politicians — but I had deep concerns then, and they have remained with me ever since.”

Sir Kevin said he shared the concerns of the parents inolved that there was a “reluctance to pursue this ‘difficult and sensitive’ subject”.

He added: “It now appears that this case was not a relatively rare one as I had thought and that the abuse by her attackers and subsequent failure of response by the very agencies whose role it was to protect her was a widespread situation and just the tip of the iceberg in terms of child sexual exploitation.

“Those who have held positions of responsibility in any way related to these horrific cases in Rotherham must be held to account.”

 

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