Three Girls
BBC ONE, 9.00PM
The Rochdale sex abuse scandal, which saw vulnerable teenage girls groomed and sexually abused by a gang of Asian men in the area, was one of the most shocking cases of organised child sexual abuse to emerge in Britain – not least in its exposure of the failings of local police and social services to put a stop to it for years. Made with the cooperation of victims and their families, this harrowing three-part drama (continuing Wednesday and Thursday) written by Nicole Taylor sets out to tell some of their stories, starting with that of 15-year-old Holly Winshaw (Molly Windsor).
A newcomer to Rochdale, Holly has a troubled relationship with her father (Paul Kaye) and mother (Jill Halfpenny), which spirals out of control when a new friend Amber (Ria Zmitrowicz) introduces her to “Daddy” (Simon Nagra), a fast-food delivery man who lures girls to his grubby flat with vodka. Even when Holly tells police she’s been raped nobody seems to care until she meets sexual health worker Sara Rowbotham (Maxine Peake). It makes for depressing, distressing viewing but it’s all the more powerful for its refusal to pull punches or let any of those responsible off the hook. Gerard O’donovan