“The worst abuse case I have seen in 40 years” — senior social worker

Independent consultant Jean Imray looked into the 15 case studies included in the Jay report, labelled Child A to O.

She recommended Child E be taken up by Rotherham Safeguarding Children’s Board with a view to a serious case review.

Child E — now an adult no longer in the borough — became a looked after child when she was aged 12, the Jay report said.

She had an abusive family background, parents with mental health problems and became a victim of CSE while living at a children’s home.

Notes from the time described the chaos as staff were powerless to older children introducing younger peers to predatory adult males targeting kids’ homes.

Mrs Imray’s report said there was evidence of “significant culpability” by at least two social workers.

By the request for a serious case review was turned down after being heard by a national panel.

Mrs Imray said: “It could never be good news for Child E because the damage to Child E was to extensive, but at least  some of the perpetrators are now being investigated.”

She added: “Most striking to me was the extent to which the child protection system in Rotherham appeared to be operating outside any statutory or procedural framework.”