'The hunt for Britain's sex gangs'

[Italiangreyhound]

I was at Greenbelt this weekend just gone by (Christian arts festival) and I watched the documentary ''The hunt for Britain's sex gangs' with the film maker.

It was, of course, very distressing and terrible etc.

www.channel4.com/programmes/dispatches/4od#3548689

I was really saddened that the police and law system did not appear to have learnt lessons over a long period of time. These crimes are not new and have been known about for a long time. I was also horrified by the way the law treats victims in these cases, calls them liars, how young women must answer questions from multiple barristers and re-live their terrible ordeals.

Someone said there was a petition about this on change.org but I can't find it. Does anyone know of any petitions about the law and court proceedings around the questioning of girls and young women/any rape victims etc or about anything to do with the prosecution of these so called sex gangs etc, please?

[ChazzerChaser]

The petition is here Italian

www.change.org/petitions/prime-minister-david-cameron-take-action-to-help-stop-child-sexual-exploitation?share_id=BICNoTcBru&utm_campaign=signature_receipt&utm_medium=email&utm_source=share_petition

Funnily enough I came on this morning to talk about exactly the same issue. I've not watched to documentary yet, but will be doing so.

I'm currently scouting around for information. Was even wondering if there might be impetus at some point for a MN campaign. Will come back to this once I've had more time.

[Italiangreyhound]

ChazzerChaser what a great idea, do update me/us.

[scallopsrgreat]

Yep I came on this mornng about the same topic too although I haven't seen the documentary but I did sign the petition.

Girls that have been raped and sexually exploited are still seen to have colluded with adults, have the same sexual agency as adults, especially if they are teenagers. It is terrifying and desparately sad that it is still viewed this way even by those in authority and involved in the law. Then men exploiting girls appear to do so, in large part, with impunity. Equality, pah!

[OctopusPete8]

I think showing how the girl was treat/affected by the courts was a good move in the doc though, opened peoples eyes.

[ChazzerChaser]

Just watched the documentary. FFS. Where on earth does anyone start? I need to sleep on it for sure.

[Italiangreyhound]

ChazzerChaser it was very disturbing. Both in what happened to the girls at the hands of these vile men and then at the hands of a law. It is shaming that in the UK in 2013 girls can still be called liars by barristers when there was numerous amounts of independant evidence (such as licence plate recognition) to show these women were being sold around a huge area. The idea that teenage girls would wish to collude willingly in this is utterly sickening.

[ChazzerChaser]

Indeed. What's happening is vile, the impact on their lives and those around them was immense, the scale is terrifying, the futility of the legal system was scary, and the way they are treated by the legal system is appalling. One of the girls would end up facing 13 interrogations by my reckoning. Just to convict 5 out of 200 men who'd raped her. And 10,000 victims they think. 10,000 girls being repeatedly raped. And this experience becoming their normal.

And you're right, the idea that it is more believable that all these girls are colluding and lying than that they're being systematically abused. Sadly I find that bit least surprising being a hardened feminist. I'm lost where anyone can even start. But I am determined. Once I've done a bit of processing.