Telford child sex abuse: MP urges council to 'step up' over inquiry calls

Telford MP Lucy Allan has called on the council to “step up to the plate” and commission an inquiry.

It comes as the council said an inquiry started by the authority itself could cost millions of pounds and would not give the victims or the public the answers they needed.

Ms Allan said: “I welcome the council’s agreement that an independent inquiry is necessary. However, this has since been caveated by their suggestion that, instead of a Rotherham-style inquiry, they would like to see what they call a ‘Home Office-commissioned inquiry’.

“A Rotherham-style inquiry is a tried and tested fully independent model and could get started straight away.

“It’s not clear what the council has in mind when it talks about a Home Office-commissioned inquiry. It would be disappointing if the council, having agreed an inquiry is necessary, now stalls in stepping up to the plate and fail to show the leadership the community needs and expects at this time.”

A statement released by the council said: “A council-led inquiry would need a budget which could run into millions of pounds. We are seeking further clarification on likely costs and whether these would be borne exclusively by the council.”

Answers

The statement added: “A council-led inquiry would not give the victims, or the public, the answers that they rightly seek. A council-led inquiry cannot compel witnesses outside of the council to give evidence. It can compel council services only, when other bodies such as the police and health services have a very large part to play.

“Its remit would be limited to the period since the council has existed from April 1998 – but media reports very clearly state this is an issue that goes back as far as 40 years ago when the area was covered by Shropshire Council.

“A council that decides an inquiry’s terms of reference can be seen as appointing its own judge and jury.

“Victims could have to go through the ordeal of giving evidence to two different inquiries – a council inquiry and then the IICSA inquiry which we know is coming to Telford.”

The council said it was seeking more information on costs and whether that would come entirely out of its budget.

More than 35,000 people have signed a petition calling for an independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Telford.

The change.org petition was started by CSE victim Holly Archer, hit the figure just over a week after it had began.

Public urged to speak out if suspicious

A police force is urging people to speak out if they spot signs of adults developing inappropriate relationships with children.

As part of national awareness day for child sexual exploitation (CSE), Dyfed-Powys Police has been calling on people in the region to come forward if they have suspicions it is happening in their community.

All this week officers and staff from the force’s child sexual exploitation investigators team, Police On-Line Investigation Team (Polit), school officers and frontline officers have been targeting suspects and children identified as potential victims.

CSE co-ordinator for Dyfed-Powys Police, Linda Elias, said: “This is not an issue isolated to more urban areas of the UK, we know it is happening locally and we are working hard to identify and protect those children who are vulnerable and also deal with the adults who are taking advantage of children.

“We have police officers trained to recognise the early signs of CSE that can identify children at risk, but we all have a role to play in ensuring our children are safe.

“Please, if you suspect someone in your family, social group of wider community is being exploited by any adult report it immediately to police by calling 101.”

She added: “Exploited children are almost always too frightened or ashamed to ask for help themselves, and members of the community including hoteliers, restaurant owners, community shops or youth facility leaders, are urged to speak out if they see when someone or something suspicious.”