Groomed. A National scandal Ch 4 - Wed 30 April 9 pm

I'm afraid I haven't heard of Maggie Oliver. Victim support is vital so this sounds timely.

IMO these documentaries seem to dwell too much on the alleged shortcomings of police officers and social workers, which does no good except to make these jobs even more difficult to recruit to.
We need more focus on how to better fund these services, so that burn-out in these important roles is not so high. And we need much better support for parents of teenagers. And we need to make sure that the government acts on its knowledge that these issues matter and are difficult, and that it funds them accordingly. Now.

Thanks winterwhite, I share your concerns.
It’s horrific but hardly surprising that this kind of organised sexual exploitation of children continues
Police, social work, drug/alcohol teams, youth work etc etc all decimated by austerity
Specialist police and social work teams disbanded because they’re expensive. Young inexperienced staff overwhelmed by huge caseloads
And student social workers often advised by lecturers to avoid children and families work “so you don’t end up on the front page of the Daily Mail
It’s depressing on every level

Definitely time for a look at resources for prevention and support since grooming continues and to revisit the past in terms of lessons to learn. Social workers are stressed, maligned and not given the resources.

This filmmaker actually made her first film on the subject in 2004 called Edge of the City- she was unaware that the BNP would hijack her film

"The film was originally due to go out in May, but hours before transmission it was pulled from the schedules, after it was advertised on the British National Party website as a "party political broadcast"" (Guardian)

It is a disgrace that it continues. The worst thing, shameful. That is what happens when politics gets involved with crime.

The DM has a long piece this morning about what seems like a concerted fight back by men accused and convicted of offences related to ‘grooming gangs’.
These men are shouting loud, calling the girls slags, prostitutes, liars. They claim these children are offered money to make false allegations.
Things don’t change do they? Men exploiting the young vulnerable girls (and boys) to meet some perverted sexual ‘need’ then blaming the children.
We allow our children to be sexualised, in part by trashy tv programmes, we limit rather than extend their childhoods. Then we are surprised when they get drawn into organised sexual abuse by men who convince them they love them, understand them, want to give them freedom,

The Sunday Times had an article on Anna Hall's documentary "Groomed" titled, "Two decades after I exposed grooming gangs things are worse" The victims years on still raw from the abuse, one such woman, Chantelle now 32 said "I was labelled a prostitute at 14, you carry that label with you. For all those years I've been too embarrassed to speak about it. I thought I was the problem. But now I want everyone to know about all the trauma, all the let down, everything that I've been through" Just one such brave woman who as a child had all the blame heaped on her, as if she was somehow complicit in a hideous crime against her teen self, there are many who went through the same....and now this fightback, from the awful apologists and the men themselves who smear the women, then children, as slags and whores. Beyond sickening!

A grooming gang was sentenced yesterday. I am pleased that the BBC Radio 4 announcer said "they were white".

Iam64

Thanks winterwhite, I share your concerns.
It’s horrific but hardly surprising that this kind of organised sexual exploitation of children continues
Police, social work, drug/alcohol teams, youth work etc etc all decimated by austerity
Specialist police and social work teams disbanded because they’re expensive. Young inexperienced staff overwhelmed by huge caseloads
And student social workers often advised by lecturers to avoid children and families work “so you don’t end up on the front page of the Daily Mail
It’s depressing on every level

I personally know three social workers, all on the sick 🤒 Two bobbys off with bad backs.

mrsmeldrew

A grooming gang was sentenced yesterday. I am pleased that the BBC Radio 4 announcer said "they were white".

Why ? What difference does ethnicity make? They are vile criminals, colour should NOT enter into it. I think Houston , you have a problem. Seems to be endemic there.

Mt61 - the stress police and sw face daily would shock many.
I share the anger expressed about the way these girls are failed. Nearly thirty years ago I was told yes we know it’s a force wide issue, we haven’t the resources to deal with it. The DM report confirms the same denial by men and way these children are viewed as complicit remains an issue in its prevention and prosecution

nanna8

It is a disgrace that it continues. The worst thing, shameful. That is what happens when politics gets involved with crime.

Not sure what you mean. It was involved in the early 2000's as in why some slow to act: (and used as political football)

but for current events its the issues described above so powerfully, resources to catch and convict, resources to support and advocate for victims, fight apologists. Put more of the Jay report into action.

Nanna8 the government is acting on the Hsy report. Politics in action unlike the previous lit

Good to hear it Iam64 The previous mob were a disgrace.

As Iam said Jay spent hours and hours interviewing victims and the testimony has been there to see. She made 20 recommendations.
If this film helps bring the need for resourcing to the forefront and pressure to put the recommendations into practice then its worth it.

This years proposals to implement Jay report further

www.jordanssolicitors.co.uk/insights/abuse-and-redress-schemes/the-labour-governments-update-on-responding-to-the-iicsa-inquiry-report

short document, items listed in last half.

But so far to go. How can we stop the "apologists"?

Who do you mean by "apologists"?

Iam64

Mt61 - the stress police and sw face daily would shock many.
I share the anger expressed about the way these girls are failed. Nearly thirty years ago I was told yes we know it’s a force wide issue, we haven’t the resources to deal with it. The DM report confirms the same denial by men and way these children are viewed as complicit remains an issue in its prevention and prosecution

That is what Justin Welby said too - he felt overwhelmed by the scale.

Resources should be put to it.
No good saying it is all too big to handle.

fancythat

Who do you mean by "apologists"?

As mentioned in TerriBull's posts above, basically men blaming the girls and making excuses.

I’d hoped the successful prosecutions and the way Starmer and Nazir Afzal spoke out about the need to protect the girls as well as prosecute offenders would slowly improve things. Instead, I worry the abusers feel empowered. Prosecutions for rape are rare.
We often see comments on this forum suggesting the latest celeb to be accused of sex offences/harassment and denying it, are somehow more believable than their accusers.

These girls (and boys) usually share similar chaotic, neglectful family backgrounds, many have been sexually abused in early childhood. They’re of ‘out of control’, school refusers who drink and take drugs. They’re targeted because these abusers know these children are often seen as unreliable witnesses.

We need to invest in our children, including following Jay and setting up multi agency teams, working under one roof, well resourced, with advice from clinical psychologists

Wyllow3

fancythat

Who do you mean by "apologists"?

As mentioned in TerriBull's posts above, basically men blaming the girls and making excuses.

In which case s good question.

Will come back later.

Mrs Meldrew

Shame that the BBC haven't been so forthcoming in the past, when they appeared unable to formulate the words 'black', 'Asian' or 'Pakistani'.
.

Mt61

Sadly, most of the organisations you reference are consistently proving themselves to be 'unfit for purpose'.
.

Barbadosbelle

Mrs Meldrew

Shame that the BBC haven't been so forthcoming in the past, when they appeared unable to formulate the words 'black', 'Asian' or 'Pakistani'.
.

Not so. Your prejudice.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-29110085

2014 report.

Blaming the children is part of the process, it is part of the abuse and I guess how the men 'justify' it to themselves.
I know it seems a small thing but I do think we should think about the language we as a society use, we see the term child prostitute used or child porn, you can't be a child prostitute, it is abuse and should be named as such. There is something about the term grooming gang that sits uncomfortably with me as well, I know it is used to explain what happens but to me it seems to minimise the crime.