Events aim to inspire fight against child sex abuse
A SERIES of small-scale events will be held in Rochdale, to inspire change within the community and awareness of child exploitation and sexual abuse.
It comes after the recent review of Operation Span and the investigation of non-recent child sexual exploitation in Rochdale during 2004-2012, which was published in January.
They will be hosted by Manchester-based CSE survivor led CIC organisation REIGN which reaches its five-year mark,
Speaking about the review Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy
Burnham shared REIGN’S belief that ‘it is only by facing up fully and unflinchingly to what happened that we can be sure of bringing the whole system culture change needed when it comes to protecting children from abuse.’
A recent report by the
CSA Centre estimated that around 500,000 children suffer sexual abuse each year, with victims waiting more than 600 days to for their perpetrators to be convicted, if at all.
The series of events called Power Not Pity: 6 Years On, aims to bring communities, agencies and survivors together to drive change by hosting honest conversations and working in unison across communities, agencies and groups.
Each event is designed to spark dialogue and inspire change within the Greater Manchester community, and rightly place survivors at the forefront of making change happen.
A number of talks and workshops, led by a diverse lineup, will range from art expression sessions to offering taster sessions for alternative trauma coping mechanisms.
These sessions are designed to be inclusive and the aim is to provide a platform for survivors and allies alike to connect and learn together.
REIGN began in 2016 when a small group of young survivors of CSE/A (child sexual exploitation and abuse) who had experienced failure from systems and services in their lives that had been set up to protect them, came together to drive to fix those systems and change the stigma around CSE so that no other child would be failed in the same way.
Co-founder of REIGN and CSE/A survivor Elicia Curtis says:“it is vital the voices of those with lived experience should be at the forefront of improving health and social care practice.
“We must work together in understanding and changing the way we respond to this crime but, most importantly, we have to listen and give power to survivors, who know CSE better than anyone.”
The series of events culminates on March 21 with a big event for all, where vital conversations will take place and an outline will be revealed of a shared vision for the future of Rochdale and Greater Manchester.
All of the events are FREE, with an option to donate. To book your free place and secure a ticket to the events visit eventbrite. com/cc/power-not-pitysix-years-on-2997749