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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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!

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,

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

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)

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'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.