Key Takeaways
- The town of Oldham in England has been plagued by a disturbing pattern of child sexual exploitation, with girls from local children’s homes repeatedly going missing and being found in the same locations, being harbored by the same men.
- The issue has been ongoing for nearly two decades, with concerns first raised in 2003, and has been linked to a nervousness about race, with men of Asian heritage being over-represented in the gangs that have targeted children in the town.
- A national inquiry has been commissioned to investigate the issue, with a central strand focusing on what went wrong in Oldham and how ethnicity, religion, or culture played a role in the responses to the exploitation.
- The inquiry will also examine the treatment of victims by professionals and the cultural factors that may have contributed to the abuse.
- The story of one victim, Samantha Walker-Roberts, who was kidnapped and trafficked at the age of 12, highlights the failures of the authorities to protect her and the need for a thorough investigation into the issue.
Introduction to the Problem
The town of Oldham in England has been grappling with a disturbing pattern of child sexual exploitation for nearly two decades. The issue first came to light in 2003, when social workers noticed that girls from local children’s homes were repeatedly going missing and being found in the same locations, being harbored by the same men. Despite efforts to address the problem, it has continued to plague the town, with concerns being raised about the over-representation of men of Asian heritage in the gangs that have targeted children.
The Early Warning Signs
In 2006, Ruth Baldwin, the executive director for young people and families at Oldham council, spoke out about the issue, stating that "unless you scratch below the surface, you do not realize the enormity of the problem." She emphasized that the issue was not about teenage relationships, but about men in their 20s, 30s, and beyond targeting vulnerable children. The council launched Operation Messenger, a taskforce designed to combat the problem, which involved the council, police, health services, and the charity Barnardo’s. However, despite the project’s accolades, it failed to adequately address the issue, and the quality of casework by both the police and social care was found to be "generally very poor."
The Failure of Operation Messenger
The Operation Messenger project was seen as groundbreaking at the time, but it ultimately failed to deliver on its promises. The project investigated alleged offenders from a range of racial backgrounds, including white men, but exploitation by British Asian men, particularly those of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage, formed a significant chunk of its caseload. The project’s failure to adequately address the issue was highlighted in a 2022 safeguarding review, which found that the agencies involved wrestled with how to address the problem without fueling the far right. The review also found that senior officials did not understand the complexities of child sexual exploitation, with one former chief constable describing Operation Messenger as being focused on "child prostitution."
The Story of Samantha Walker-Roberts
One victim, Samantha Walker-Roberts, has spoken out about her experiences, highlighting the failures of the authorities to protect her. She was kidnapped and trafficked at the age of 12 and was subjected to abuse by multiple men. Despite her efforts to report the abuse, she was not believed, and her story was not taken seriously. The forensic evidence that could have helped trace outstanding suspects was destroyed or returned to the suspect’s solicitor, and the men who abused her remained at large. Walker-Roberts has campaigned for an independent inquiry into the issue and hopes that the Oldham strand of the inquiry will focus on how victims like her were treated by professionals and the cultural factors that may have contributed to the abuse.
The National Inquiry
The national inquiry into child sexual exploitation, which was commissioned in response to Elon Musk’s intervention, will examine the issue in England and Wales. The inquiry will focus on what went wrong in Oldham and how ethnicity, religion, or culture played a role in the responses to the exploitation. The inquiry will also examine the treatment of victims by professionals and the cultural factors that may have contributed to the abuse. The inquiry is a crucial step towards addressing the issue and ensuring that victims receive the support and justice they deserve.
Conclusion
The issue of child sexual exploitation in Oldham is a complex and disturbing one, with a history of failures by the authorities to protect vulnerable children. The national inquiry is a crucial step towards addressing the issue and ensuring that victims receive the support and justice they deserve. It is essential that the inquiry is thorough and comprehensive, examining not only the cultural factors that may have contributed to the abuse but also the treatment of victims by professionals. By shedding light on this dark issue, it is hoped that the inquiry will bring about meaningful change and ensure that such atrocities never happen again.
