Now town’s Tories say ‘sorry’ to abuse victims

ROCHDALE’S Conservative Party has become the latest group to apologise to victims of historic child sex abuse in the town.

It comes after a national inquiry heard evidence of decades of shocking abuse at Knowl View residential school and Cambridge House boys hostel involving former Rochdale MP Cyril Smith and others.

The Conservatives were in coalition with the Lib Dems in charge of Rochdale town hall when Knowl View closed in the mid-90s.

This week the group, whose leader Coun Ashley Dearnley gave evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, said they ‘apologise for all that has happened in the past’.

In a statement the Conservatives said: “Over the past weeks Rochdale has, once again, suffered from negative publicity as the Inquiry into the historical child sexual abuse allegations have taken place.

“The Conservative group have discussed this issue and we await the findings of the inquiry.

“However, regardless of what they may be, our top priority is to the victims of this horrific situation, and as the Conservative group we apologise for all this has happened in the past.

“It can only be by accepting with humility shortcomings that occurred at that time, that as a town we can move forward

“We will never seek to score party political points, as some do on an issue as serious as this.

“It is not for us to prejudge the findings of the inquiry, but we all as elected politicians, officers and staff within Rochdale council, police and other public bodies, have a collective duty to redouble our efforts so that everyone living in our town has confidence in the public services to protect and serve us all.”

Before the inquiry started Rochdale council chief executive Steve Rumbelow apologised for the authority’s historic failings, saying it could and should have done more.

The authority’s failure to act was ‘frankly unforgiveable’, he said.

And council leader Richard Farnell, who was also in charge between 1986 and 1992 when boys were being abused ●●Rochdale Conservative group leader Coun Ashley Dearnley (inset) gave evidence to the inquiry into allegations of sex abuse at Knowl View School. Now the group has apologised to victims at Knowl View, also personally apologised after the hearings - but only after being repeatedly being asked to do so by a journalist.

The inquiry’s chair Prof Alexis Jay is expected to publish her report on the Rochdale findings before April next year.