Review of Rochdale Grooming Gangs Exposes Systemic Failures and Ongoing Risks

What Were the Findings of the Review?

Here’s a quick summary of what the review found:

• The review notes that in 74 cases there was evidence of children being sexually exploited and in 48 cases, there were serious failures by agencies to protect the children in Rochdale. This left the children ‘at the mercy’ of the grooming gangs.
• The review also states that many of the abusers have been left unpunished. Although nine men were convicted in 2012 and there have been further convictions, including late last year when five men convicted of ‘sickening’ abuse of two teenage girls, the report states there are 96 men which still pose a risk to children who have not been convicted.
• The Police and Council did not investigate the threat of exploitation between 2004 and 2007; this was despite the NHS crisis team warning the Police of their concerns.
• The Police investigation in 2008 and 2009 was under-resourced and this hampered the efforts to prosecute the suspects. According to the report, ‘insufficient effort’ was put into identifying the suspect following a child’s disclosure to the Police.
• The NHS crisis team reported ‘potentially 260 victims’ to the social care services which had not been acted on.

What Needs to Happen Next?

The Council and the Police have advised that they have now overhauled the way they prevent and respond to child sexual exploitation since 2013 in order to ensure survivors receive the level of care and service they should expect.

This failure to prevent the exploitation is something which many members of the public initially called out when the case became public. It is promising that actions have been taken following this, however, as it suggests things are changing for the better. In turn, this hopefully means that these childhood sexual exploitation cases will happen less frequently in the future.

Both the Council and the Police have advised that they have opened investigations into these historical cases; the police have obtained the convictions on 42 men for the abuse of 13 children.

We are pleased to hear that the Council and Police have acknowledged their failures, made improvements to prevent such failings taking place again and are also carrying out investigations which are resulting in convictions.

Our Abuse Solicitors have experience in obtaining compensation for survivors of child sexual exploitation. Get in touch with us for a free and confidential initial conversation.

Claiming Compensation for Childhood Sexual Abuse and Exploitation

When it comes to claiming compensation for childhood sexual abuse and exploitation, this can be a daunting idea for survivors. Not only might they worry about having to think about and re-live their experiences, they might also be concerned about the legal side of things.

With the right legal team behind you to walk you through it all, this doesn’t have to be a difficult or complex process.

Claiming compensation can be useful in terms of making sure you get the closure you want, and the money you receive can help you with a wide range of things. Whether that means therapy, support groups or another type of resource, the compensation you get can help you access to any specialist care you need.

How Simpson Millar Can Help

If you’re a survivor of childhood sexual abuse or exploitation and you’re looking to claim compensation, at Simpson Millar, we’re here to be in your corner along the way.

In addition, our team are friendly and supportive, and we’re always here to listen to any of your legal worries and concerns. We always aim to be unbiased and approachable at all times, to create a safe space for you.

We are experts when it comes to this area of the law, so we understand the whole process of claiming compensation thoroughly and fully. Due to this, you can have peace of mind that your case is in the best hands to work towards finding you the closure you deserve.

We want to make this side of the law as accessible as possible, so we’ll always explain things in simple terms without unnecessary jargon. We aim to ensure that you understand what’s going on at all times, and that you’re prepared for what will happen next.

A Summary of the Rochdale Grooming Gang Review and Claiming Compensation

This recent review about the Rochdale grooming gangs will hopefully encourage and empower survivors of childhood sexual abuse and exploitation to come forward. The case and the review has brought the often taboo subject into more and more conversations, which will hopefully make survivors feel more able to come forward about their experiences.

In addition, an increasing number of institutions are beginning to make changes to the way they operate, such as the Police.

If you’re a victim and survivor of childhood sexual abuse or exploitation, you’re looking to claim compensation, Simpson Millar is here to help make the process as smooth and stress-free as possible. Get in touch with our Abuse Solicitors for a free and confidential initial conversation.