Three Girls (BBC 9pm)

[ASauvingnonADay]

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

Current Huddersfield case, not in the national press either.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-39580591

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/may/15/exposed-rochdale-gangs-grooming-three-girls-catalyst-progress

Article by Sara Rowbotham (the sexual health worker played by Maxine Peake). Warning: it's grim reading

Thanks for the links. Why are they not getting national press attention?

'Holly' wrote a book about it - Girl A. It isn't particularly well written but it gives you an insight as to why she kept going back, how she felt and really shows how vulnerable she was. She drank vodka to remove herself from the abuse, to forget, to help her get through it. She was dead inside. She was stuck in a situation she couldn't see a way out of.

It IS still happening, and it is still happening in Rochdale. However, since the serious case review, information is shared better between agencies, there is more awareness and more investigations take place. A young girl would never be interviewed in such a way now. Never. There would always be a female officer present.

And it happens to children from 'nice' families. You can still be vulnerable and have pony riding lessons and go skiing each Christmas. Girls are groomed, made to feel special, given attention, gifts, mobile phones and get caught up in this vicious circle. It is heartbreaking.

Jigglyturf what an incredible article. I want to do something to help. It's so awful. I'm a social worker but with adults.

Vulnerable girls can include girls who are lacking attention because of stress in the family. Bereavement, illness, sibling with severe disability. This is not the parents fault. But it is not always girls with uncaring parents.

brasty It's a very good question. I think a lot of people think the denial and covering up of Rochdale and Rotherham is a thing of the past.

From what I've read the police have really got to grips with the problem and are successfully prosecuting, but the national press are for some reason deciding not to report. So there is still denial and covering up going on in some quarters.

Did anyone hear Mohan Singh of the Sikh Awareness Society talking about grooming gangs on LBC yesterday?

www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/katie-hopkins/political-correctness-let-grooming-gangs-prosper/

Sorry, it was on Sunday.

I think in some areas there was also a cultural angle where people were afraid to stir up racial hatred. The playwright was very anxious for this drama not to fuel the EDL's racist campaigns too.

And in the end these girls weren't nice middle class girls so were treated differently. This is still the case when girls go missing - there is a much bigger public response when its girls from 'nice' famillies, not so much ones from more chaotic households.

I have regularly seen these reports in the paper and on BBC online - and noticed that they are now pursuing them more actively. Hopefully, some lessons have been learnt... We pray.

I love anything Maxine Peakr is in. It's awful but yet almost addictive viewing but I am sure it does go on with some girls in some areas especially among vulnerable girls wanting to have fun, having too much freedom and wanting to be 'popular' (and it won't just be Asian men taking advantage of young vulnerable girls either as in this instance) getting in above their heads, parents maybe having taking their eyes off the ball for one reason or another, girls wanting independence being awkward/argumentative at home/moody teenager mode, sucked in initially enjoying the free food, fizzy drinks, fun, alcohol and almost 'the status' power (if you can call it that in their eyes) almost thinking they are exploiting the mens generosity at least initially, then the tables turn quickly. The Services are obviously all very stretched some professionals go above and beyond and it's portrayed here but others are judgmental, doing the bare minimum, seeing pieces of the jigsaw/story in isolation and almost can't be bothered to do their jobs. The girls went back for different reasons some because they don't know any different, want to be with their peers in other instances it's fear for their lives and in Hollys case fear for the lives of her family.

Completely harrowing and left DH and I with a lump in our throats! Unfortunately as many have said it is still going on...educating young people and more training for institutions such as Police, Schools and parents etc are key to combatting this horrendous crime!

I suspect the reason they're not being reported nationally is because there are so many cases. There wouldn't be time for any other news :(

The serious case review answers some of the questions about why the older girl acted the way she did. She was completely vulnerable, already on the child protection register along with her sister because of domestic abuse in her family.
"Tariq "showed her a bit of affection and attention to hook her in and abused her and others. She was threatened but came from a family where violence was a norm as well.
It was a horrendous mess and those poor girls were treated dreadfully by adults who shouls have protected them. The review is here.
www.nspcc.org.uk/preventing-abuse/child-protection-system/case-reviews/2013/
As others have said, grooming and sexual abuse of children still goes on, the Huddersfield case goes back to 2011 but it's happening now, this week, tonight. I can tell you the CSE hot spots in my town and city. I know the police will take girls home tonight from these places and the girls will go back because they're hooked in and trapped. I think all adults should be aware of the signs of possible exploitation and be prepared to report concerns they have.

My friend was groomed many years ago. She was 13, and to her he was her boyfriend, he loved her. She tried to commit suicide many times after he was arrested. I gave evidence in court and somehow he found my address and was allowed(!?) to write to me (age 13) from prison
It turned out he had abused his daughters, his step daughters, half the girls off the estate, loads of pregnancies, possession of child abuse images, the lot. He was sentenced to 14 years. I remember hearing on the radio he had appealed or applied for early release (I must have been 17/18 then) and vomiting in the car. He didn't even abuse/groom me but he knew where I lived and I was petrified

Oh that was very powerful; very upsetting to watch. To know it actually happened, and is still happening, really turns my stomach.

The end where Amber was crying, knowing nobody was coming to save her, was just devastating.

The sexual health worker is Sara Rowbotham

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/sara-rowbotham-rochdale-scandal-girls-13036722

The Social Worker was a disgrace. That has nothing to do with 'cuts'. It wasn't the lack of money in SS that made her view these girls this way. It only has to do with her vile and ignorant view. Hers personally. There simply is NO excuse.

I'm struggling with people saying they can't watch it. It is extremely harrowing. That's why it should be watched.

Got back from work and started to watch this at around 9:30 last night. Was knackered but couldn't stop watching. Harrowing but very watchable as such excellent acting, Maxine P superb.

Will be watching the bit I missed later.

Ah shit, I missed it. Saw it advertised and wanted to watch it. I read a book a while back about sex trafficking and grooming and there were some interviews in it with some of the girls in the Rotherham case. Harrowing. Must look on catch-up today.

Ah shit, I missed it. Saw it advertised and wanted to watch it. I read a book a while back about sex trafficking and grooming and there were some interviews in it with some of the girls in the Rotherham case. Harrowing. Must look on catch-up today.

I couldn't sleep last night thinking of this. I found it harrowing so how did those poor children feel? Im just so angry that they were let down by the police and SS. I wonder if anyone was sacked? They bloody well should be.

The RL social worker was on Women's Hour yesterday along with Maxine Peak. It was a fab interview. She firmly believes that the reason nothing was done was not due to the racial element and everything to do with the SS and police not caring about the girls. They were viewed as an "an underclass" and they just weren't worth wasting any time on.

A lot has changed since this happened. Apart from anything else we now have a name for it - Child Sexual Exploitation.

Another article here from the Guardian from a former Greater Manchester Police officers view. Depressing

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/may/16/offenders-in-rochdale-child-sexual-abuse-scandal-remain-at-large