In many ways, yes, MissA. Of course it is the fault of the perpetrators, but it is lack of funding that prevents proper state care of the victims.
The groups of men to whom you refer couldn't have preyed so easily on the girls if there had been more funding to support the sexual health teams, and the care homes, and the social workers, teachers and police who should have been able to keep them safe.
Similarly, reports on both Arthur and Star should have been followed up and acted on, but without enough funding it is just not possible for agencies to look out for every child who needs it. If a social worker had visited these children and not seen a different child who subsequently died, the finger would still be pointed at the social worker and not at the fact that there should be more of them with smaller workloads. There are only so many hours in a day.
And whilst the idea that the public is to blame it is not a palatable thought, trisher is pointing out that we all make choices when we vote, and if we want low taxes and individual responsibility as opposed to a more collective society where we pay a bit more and get more social services then we are, to a point, responsible when things go wrong.
It is not fair to blame over-worked social workers, doctors, teachers, and others who are employed to protect the vulnerable - the ones who have had any contact with either Arthur or Star will be torturing themselves as it is. What we need is a society which makes it possible for professionals to look after vulnerable children, not to have unmanageable workloads, targets and impossible expectations, and that takes money and the will to make it available.
