Three Girls (BBC 9pm)

[ASauvingnonADay]

Looking forward to watching this tonight. Feel it might be one to watch with your teenagers..

Does anyone know if there was more in the court spoken of about the threats and fear the girls had?

Hugely angered by Amber's treatment - "she's as bad as the men" did one of the barrister suggest worse? No thinking that she was threatened or in fear of her safety as to being why she arranged things and took payment.

Do we know Amber's actual story: I would really like to think she really did confidently know she was a good mum.

I wouldn't like to be a Barrister. I would struggle to represent the men, and rip the girls to shreds. One male barrister told Holy that it never happened. And the female barrister who interviewed the Amber's sister, was beyond vile. How do they sleep at night?

Oh lovely, four appeals! Thanks WP glad to see they aren't missing any opportunity to ridicule us more.

I live very close to Rotherham, one of the hang out areas publicised in the CSE mire has now had concrete blocks over the entrance.
Concrete blocks.
That's that sorted then.

I hope in years to come people trying to blow the lid off this are recognised properly.
Those trying to mitigate everything to avoid a racist label have their own consciences, and they should be heavy.
It's happening, right now.

Yes Fanny I was delighted to see that public funds are being spent on these men's appeals against deportation which could have been used to help these poor girls try to rebuild their lives, or in trying to prevent the same things happening to other children.

Obviously no bigger issues need addressing here though.

They must detach themselves. Not see the person they are questioning as anything more than a barrier to be broken.

Another thing I wondered that rotten shite of a police officer who questioned Holly 1st time round did he actually yawn like that in real life? The way he did that was a real cherry on the top of the dismissive and disdainful way he way talking to and treating her.

I agree Tizzy that yawn was as dismissive of those young girls as the rapes were because of the sentiment behind it. 'Scummy female'.

But what really appalled me was the questioning of the barristers to a young girl who had had an abortion at 13, went to a special needs school, and the questions were completely inappropriate. I think the defence barristers nailed it for the prosecution. They really shot themselves in the foot. The Jury saw through it.

I thought the program was very good - so much to cover so many angles but one thing that did let it down, was the fact - actually these three girls were three of soooooooooooooooo many.

"DADDY" Shabir Armed actually abused at least 47 girls.

The number of girls was vast - I know it focused on three only and we got some idea of the scale from Sexual health ladies vast notes,.....and the photos on the wall but many more girls were victim to these men. I would have liked that to be made more clear.

Tizzy I in the program it was very clear as to how many threats the girls faced, guns drawn on them, threats of violence, killing, raping their sisters, their mothers - I imagine for this reason they didnt go back over it much in court. We had already seen the levels of violence.

Elendon I would like to think young girls well under age of consent some of whom had special needs - faced with an organised sex gang of old men many married with families had already nailed it for the Jury.

Sad that so many of them are free though isnt it - and still abusing tax payer money. Why were they allowed to appeal?

oopps so daddy was on trial straight after for abusing asian girl so young she had to stand on a stool to reach a sink, he was given sentence for the girls we saw - and then - which is what I dont understand he was given a 22 year sentance for the abuse he did agaisnt the asian girl.

However - the sentence ran concurrently - so he had an added 3 years. Why not back to back????

I thought the older policeman who questioned Holly in the first episode was a pervert. He seemed to get off on what he was hearing. He didn't come across any better in a later episode either.

Mrs i thought that too

I have a little girl and this tipped me over the edge

We ve all mentioned the failures of the police, social service etc but what strikes me about the final episode was the failure of the parents to protect their children and the relationship between them.

Questions are unanswered about where Ruby and ambers mum was during that time. I struggled with the fact that it showed her all loving and supporting to amber and particularly Ruby when she wasn't there when it mattered.

It showed holly s mum as sympathetic and loving in the final episode too. I found the dads attitude before the court case difficult to engage with. He just seemed so thoughtless and unsympathetic. I know he was angry with what had previously gone on.

I found it interesting that the girls seemed to show no anger towards their parents for their part in failing to protect them. Holly seemed to have no anger at her parents for not believing that she was raped when she first reported it and even considering if she was a prostitute. Amber and Ruby seemed to willingly accept their mothers affections. There didn't seem to be any question or conflict as they slipped into mother/daughter/father daughter relationship.

I couldn't believe 'daddies' response when he was found guilty in court. Did he really believe the girls manipulated the men and made a lot of money from them? Did he really believe they were willing prostitutes? And that was his way of thinking what he was doing was ok? Or was he just deny, deny?

Or was he just deny, deny?

It's like someone who's cheated lies in the face of overwhelming evidence. Liars keep on lying. Manipulation of others depends on the ability to lie about reality to your victim. These awful people are experts at twisting the world into something false.

Ruby - I had a different take on the father of Holly. I think he did believe her when she told him but was powerless to do anything. Him and her mother kept on going round to the cousin's house trying to coax her out - but she was too under the influence of the men and scared to go to them and escape. I think he did believe her - after she was arrested it suddenly all made sense, her behaviour.

I've been in a sort of similar situation with my younger sister who had learning difficulties and was taken advantage of - we didn't understand at first but eventually realised the men had the power.

I don't think lorna came across too well at the beginning - where was she? And the children were definitely on the child protection register

I would hazard a guess that lorna also has learning difficulties and she was scared too. Also, what can a parent do in the face of an oppositional and defiant teen? Lock them up?!

Agree with everything
That'snotmytoddler said.
Awful story so tragic it's a true one.
Brilliant acting tho. They did the girls proud.

Can we please stop describing these men as Muslim. They are Pakistani, some of them happen to be Muslim but their faith has got absoloutely nothing to do with their actions. In fact, it is the most deplorable act to commit as a Muslim, and many would argue, committing such a crime would mean you had left the fold of Islam. So please drop the Muslim from their description, they don't deserve it.

I don't know if this is viable... but would anyone think getting Sara Rowbotham on for a webchat would be good?

Well said sun

Are the victims compensated?

Holly got £125k - or so I read

Just watched the first episode. I'm sobbing at the horror of it. Those men are just as bad as the people in the system who let them down. Toughest thing I've ever watched.

Tbh Furry I found the first episode the easiest to watch of the three, even though it was the most physically graphic.

Last night's episode made me so angry I cried talking to my own dad about it and was still tearful on my way to work this morning.

When I think of some of the lovely, but very vulnerable kids at the school where I work and the possibility that they could be similarly at risk I feel physically sick.