NEVER AGAIN
Ministers told they must act soon over city abuse scandal
GOVERNMENT Ministers have been urged to act quickly over the treatment of victims in the Operation Sanctuary abuse scandal.
Labour’s Newcastle Central MP Chi Onwurah asked them to look at the findings of the recent Serious Case Review into sexual abuse in the city.
It found that girls and vulnerable adults were not given the support they need, and were made to relive the appalling crimes committed against them.
A total of 18 people were jailed for a total of 180 years as a result of Operation Shelter, Northumbria Police’s investigation into a network of predators who targeted vulnerable females, by plying them with drugs and alcohol before using them for sex.
It was part of a wider police operation called Operation Sanctuary.
A 150-page Serious Case Review report from retired barrister David Spicer, published in February, included a series of recommendations for local organisations and national Government, designed to prevent future abuse and improve support for victims.
It also warned authorities had failed to take the problem seriously at first and appeared to punish the victims rather than those accused of carrying out abuse.
The report said: “While perpetrators were not punished or disrupted, attempts to persuade victims to change behaviours and not return to the abusers led to consideration of deterrent punishments of victims for being drunk and disorderly or for making false allegations when accounts were changed.
“Some victims were placed in secure accommodation. This sent an unhelpful message to perpetrators.
“They were unlikely to be prosecuted
or prevented from continuing to abuse, encouraging an arrogant persistence.
“It also had a significant impact on victims who learnt that nothing would be done against perpetrators.”
However, the review also said that police, the city council and other agencies acted quickly to target perpetrators and support victims after the launch of a Northumbria police investigation in January 2014.
But it the review found no evidence of a “politically correct” reluctance to act because many of the accused came from ethnic minority communities.
Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Onwurah urged the Government to respond directly to the findings.
She said: “The Serious Case Review of the appalling sexual abuse of girls and vulnerable adults in Newcastle was published last month.
“Although it generally praised the actions of local authorities, the police and so on, it also raised significant concerns about how the victims of these appalling crimes were supported and the way they were made to relive harrowing experiences.”
She asked Justice Minister Philip Lee: “Will the Minister be responding directly to the Spicer review’s recommendations?”
He replied: “The Department is of course aware of that serious case review of the sexual exploitation of children. The details are shocking.
“Like all the agencies involved, we are looking into ways to continuously improve our service.
“I shall write to her about whether we will respond directly to that review.”
Ms Onwurah said she would continue to raise questions in Parliament to encourage the Ministry of Justice or the Home Office to consider the Serious Case Review findings and respond.