Damning report into the Rotherham child s3x exploitation scandal finds council riven by 'bullying, s3xism, suppression and misplaced political correctness'.
A new report released today claims that the Rotherham Council is 'not fit for purpose' and maintains a covering-up culture Photo: GETTY IMAGES
By
Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent, and Gordon Rayner
9:29PM GMT 04 Feb 2015
Misplaced political correctness by Rotherham’s Labour led council combined with a staggering culture of denial allowed more than 1,400 vulnerable girls to be routinely abused by gangs of Asian men, a withering report has concluded.
Children as young as nine were groomed, trafficked and raped by members of the town’s Pakistani community, but a desperation to avoid being labelled as racist meant councillors turned a blind eye to the appalling abuse for 16 years.
A damning report, written by former Victims’ Commissioner, Louise Casey, has laid bare the true extent of the council’s failings and accused those in charge of deliberately trying to cover up scandal and silence whistle-blowers.
Just minutes after the report’s findings were published the entire Labour Cabinet of Rotherham Council resigned and Communities Secretary Eric Pickles announced he was sending in Government Commissioners to run things until new elections could be held next year.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) also announced it was extending its investigation into child s3xual exploitation in the town to cover a number of “potentially criminal matters” that had been uncovered by the report.
The NCA would not be drawn on what areas it will be investigating, but it is understood allegations of attempted cover ups at the council, will be explored further by investigators.
Ms Casey’s team of inspectors was ordered into Rotherham Council last year after Professor Alexis Jay’s shocking report revealed the extent of child s3xual exploitation that had existed in Rotherham since the late 1990s.
Her report, published in August revealed how the victims were routinely let down by those who were charged with safeguarding their welfare.
Despite the appalling revelations and victim testimonies contained in the Jay report, Ms Casey said she had been greeted by a council that was still in complete denial about the extent of the problem.
Describing the reaction she received when interviewing council members, she said: “They denied that there had been a problem, or if there had been, that it was as big as was said.
“If there was a problem they certainly were not told – it was someone else’s job. They were no worse than anyone else. They had won awards. The media were out to get them.”
Inspectors also found there had been a widespread reluctance among officials to address the problem for fear of being labelled racist, something which the report said had helped fuel the rise of the far-right in the area.
Ms Casey wrote: “The issue of race is contentious, with staff and members lacking the confidence to tackle difficult issues for fear of being seen as racist or upsetting community cohesion.
Riverside House, home to Rotherham Council (ASADOUR GUZELIAN)
“By failing to take action against the Pakistani heritage male perpetrators of CSE in the borough, the Council has inadvertently fuelled the far right and allowed racial tensions to grow, it has done a great disservice to the Pakistani heritage community and the good people of Rotherham as a result.
“This has allowed perpetrators to remain at large, has let victims down, and perversely, has allowed the far right to try and exploit the situation. These may have been unintended consequences but the impact remains the same and reaches into the present day.”
The report also criticised the role of the police in the scandal, stating that there were “numerous occasions when girls were not believed”.
Rotherham Council' s Riverside House offices pictured on the day the authority's cabinet resigned over the child abuse scandal (ASADOUR GUZELIAN)
The report went on: “They were threatened with wasting police time, they were told they had consented to s3x and, on occasion, they were arrested at the scene of a crime, rather than the perpetrators.”
Ms Casey praised the bravery of whistle-blowers in exposing the truth about the scandal but accused council officials of failing to listen to them.
The report said that the council went to “considerable lengths” to cover up information adding: “It has created an unhealthy climate where people fear to speak out”.
In a statement to the Commons, Mr Pickles said: “Some councillors have not lived up to the high standards expected of those in public life or their positions of responsibility.”
Shadow communities secretary, Hilary Benn, welcomed the proposals and said it was clear the council had been more concerned with protecting its reputation than safeguarding its children.
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion also welcomed the package announced by Mr Pickles.
She said what she had read in the report had been “disgusting”, with a new horror on every page
Rotherham council ignored child abuse by Asian gangs because of 'misplaced political correctness', report concludes - Telegraph
Can somebody please define this vague term called "political correctness"? And exactly HOW it can be "misplaced"?
@A.Rafay @Ahmad1996 @Akheilos @Armstrong @arushbhai @AstanoshKhan @AZADPAKISTAN2009 @balixd @batmannow @Bilal. @chauvunist @Crypto @Dr. Stranglove @Evil Flare @EyanKhan @Fahad Khan 2 @GIANTsasquatch @graphican @Green Arrow @Guleen Ahmed @HRK @Jazzbot @Junaid B @Jzaib @Khalidr @khawaja07 @Leader @Luftwaffe @mr42O @Muhammad Omar @nomi007 @Pak123 @Pakistani shaheens @Pakistanisage @Peaceful Civilian @pkuser2k12 @Pukhtoon @PWFI @raazh @Rafael @Rashid Mahmood @RescueRanger @Saifkhan12 @SHAMK9 @Spy Master @Stealth @Strike X @SUPARCO @sur @syedali73 @Tameem @Tayyab1796 @Zarvan @waleed3601 @AdeelFaheem @Rajput_Pakistani @Men in Green @IceCold @LoveIcon @razahassan1997 @Dil Pakistan @asq @junaid hamza @Pukhtoon @jamahir @Strigon @Rafi @Ulla @HughSlaman @420canada @sathya @slapshot @raza_888 @hacsan @SBD-3 @cb4 @AsianUnion @Aether @Proudpakistaniguy @WishLivePak @Waffen SS @FaujHistorian @Fracker @Ranches @ghoul @Jf Thunder @GreenFalcon @genmirajborgza786 @orangzaib @Pakistani Exile @KURUMAYA @Irfan Baloch @ali_raza @Syed.Ali.Haider @dexter @Patriots @muslim_pakistani @W.11 @Meengla @zaid butt @ajpirzada @Shoaib Rathore @OrionHunter @CHARGER @Major Sam @yesboss @TheNoob @Bratva @ghazaliy2k @Viny @StormShadow @suresh1773 @SOHEIL @venu309 @danish_vij @Force-India @faisal6309 @SpArK @S.U.R.B. @vsdave2302 @jarves @WAJsal @pursuit of happiness @Winchester @janon @pak-marine @AgNoStiC MuSliM @Donatello @TankMan @Etilla @SpArK @Srinivas @desert warrior @DRAY @pumkinduke @wolfpack @pursuit of happiness @danish_vij @rubyjackass @Star Wars @Ammyy @bloo @Marxist @karan.1970 @Not Sure @Arav_Rana @Avik274 @SamantK @Major Shaitan Singh @Omega007 @farhan_9909 @haviZsultan @Sidak @ranjeet @Yogijaat @ravi Nair @WAR-rior @halupridol @he-man @Indrani @Mike_Brando @SarthakGanguly @sreekumar @OrionHunter @lightoftruth @Water Car Engineer @indiatester @Ind4Ever @13 komaun @anant_s @itachiii @SwAggeR @Brahmos_2 @jaiind @Blue_Eyes @bhangi bava @SAMEET @naveen mishra @Bagha @utraash @Chanakya's_Chant @Krate M @gslv mk3 @r1_vns @blood @noksss @kurup @PARIKRAMA @thesolar65 @Rohit Patel @wolfschanzze @levina @vostok @rahi2357
.
