‘Deep rooted institutional failures’ left victims prey to grooming gangs, Cooper says

The home secretary has highlighted “deep rooted institutional failures stretching back decades” which saw organisations fail to protect vulnerable children in response to a review of the grooming gangs scandal.

Yvette Cooper said the findings of the review into child sexual exploitation, conducted by Baroness Casey, are “deeply disturbing”.

She told the House of Commons: “The sexual exploitation of children by grooming gangs is one of the most horrific crimes. Children as young as ten plied with drugs and alcohol, brutally raped by gangs of men.

“And disgracefully let down again and again by the authorities who were meant to protect them and keep them safe. These despicable crimes have caused the most unimaginable harm to victims and survivors throughout their lives and are a stain on our society.”

Cooper added: “Baroness Casey’s audit examined local level data in three police force areas, Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire, where high profile cases involved in Pakistani heritage men have long been investigated and reported.

“And there they found the suspects of group-based child sexual offences were disproportionately likely to be Asian men.

“She also found indications of disproportionality in serious case reviews and while much more robust national data is needed, we cannot and must not shy away from these findings.”

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