Failure of state to protect girls from abuse

[BovaryX]

The Times reports on the grooming scandal and how concerns about 'community cohesion' allowed the police to ignored organised abuse of vulnerable girls. There needs to be accountability because as so often happens in the lessons learned paradigm, those who failed are not punished, but promoted and the institutional culture which enabled this dereliction of duty continues unchanged

Priti Patel, the home secretary, said last night that the Rotherham and Manchester scandals represented “a failure of the state to fulfil one of its fundamental roles, protecting our children”. “Institutionalised, corrosive behaviour that disregards victims has to end,” she said. “Tackling this abuse is a priority for the Home Office, which is why I have accelerated the delivery of the Tackling Child Sex Abuse strategy that will put victims first. There will be no no-go areas"

Girls are expendable for a lot of people
Phil
The report makes explicit that the racial aspect of this grooming was an influential factor in the authorities' response. I do not think it is at all helpful to deny that.

So if the rapists had been white, they'd have acted sooner?

Btw does anyone follow Jessica Eaton on Twitter? She's fantastic. She's worked with male and female sexual abuse survivors, including survivors of grooming gangs. Telford Gurl and Sammy Woodhouse are also worth a follow.

Phil
Have you actually read The Times article linked in this thread? I suggest you do so. Then take a look at Ann Cryer and Detective Maggie Oliver et al.

A senior police officer admitted that his force ignored the sexual abuse of girls by Pakistani grooming gangs for decades because it was afraid of increasing “racial tensions”, a watchdog has ruled

Yeah, I read up on Ann Cryer recently. She's a hero.

I'm just very cynical about whether the police genuinely meant it or were just using it as an excuse to sit back and do nothing.

Read the article. Doesn't make you trust the police much, does it? If they're not going to protect girls in danger, who is?

If they're not going to protect girls in danger, who is?

That's an excellent question. One of the most appalling things about this case is the deliberate targeting of girls in care This is not just about the failure of the police. It's about the failure of multiple state agencies whose institutional culture allowed this to go on for years in full view of authorities That is the critical issue because that institutional culture hasn't changed. It has entrenched. Witness Harry Miller

And there have been numerous stories about care homes abusing kids for years and getting away with it.

True. In summary, the report states that racial concerns were an influential factor in the authorities' response to prolific, organized sexual abuse. The perpetrators of this are free and potentially continuing the same behaviour, according to Andy Burnham. The stultifying institutional culture which produced this travesty is still in place. That is the issue

Of course this kind of abuse is still occurring all over the country.

What meaningful changes has anybody seen to possibly suggest that wouldn't still be the case?

Of course this kind of abuse is still occurring all over the country.What meaningful changes has anybody seen to possibly suggest that wouldn't still be the case?

Precisely. In fact the sloppy, craven institutional attitude which enabled this has entrenched.