- West Midlands Police release March 2010 document for first time this week
- It says 100 mainly white children were at serious risk of being groomed
- Report says perpetrators were all Asian, which could cause tension locally
- No appeal was made and the report was published for first time this week
Published:
12:31 GMT, 25 June 2015
|
Updated:
14:57 GMT, 25 June 2015
New revelations: West Midlands Police
were warned more than 100 predominantly white children - some as young
as 13 - were at serious risk of child exploitation five years ago (file
picture)
Britain's
second largest police force withheld a report about gangs of Muslim men
grooming children in case it inflamed racial tensions ahead of a
General Election, it was revealed today.
West
Midlands Police were warned more than 100 predominantly white children -
some as young as 13 - were at serious risk of child exploitation five
years ago.
A
document entitled 'Problem Profile, Operation Protection' from March
2010 reveals Asian gangs targeted schools and children's homes across
the force area.
The
report, written for senior officers, also reveals how white girls were
used to recruit other vulnerable victims on behalf of the gangs.
But
there were fears over a row ahead of the May 2010 General Election and
an English Defence League rally in April leading to a 'backlash against
law abiding citizens from Asian/Pakistani communities'.
Despite
the warnings police did not warn the public or appeal for information
about the men responsible and the report was only published this week
under the Freedom of Information Act.
In
one heavily redacted passage, the document reads: 'In (redacted) a
teacher at a (redacted) that a group of Asian males were approaching
pupils at the school gate and grooming them. Strong anecdotal evidence
shows this MO (modus operandi) is being used across the force.
'Operations
in other forces have identified an MO where offenders use a young girl
in a children's home to target and groom other residents on their
behalf.
'This has also been evidenced within the force in (redacted) and (redacted).
'The
girl's motivation to recruit new victims is often that the provision of
new girls provides her a way to escape the cycle of abuse.'
The
report said police had identified a potential 139 victims, 78 per cent
of whom were white while more than half were aged 13 to 15.
Revealed: In these documents police
pin-pointed 75 grooming suspects - most with a history of sexual
violence - with most being from a Muslim background from Birmingham.
Warning: The document says that all members of the gang were Asian - and nine were men and one was a woman
Redacted: The report was published by
the West Midlands force for the first time this week but their names,
aside from the alleged offences, have been hidden
Defence: West Midlands Police
Assistant Chief Constable Carl Foulkes says the force has come a long
way since the report was written
Half of all victims, who were from Birmingham, Dudley and Walsall, lived with their parents, while 41 per cent were in care.
Police
pin-pointed 75 grooming suspects - most with a history of sexual
violence - with most being from a Muslim background from Birmingham.
The
report stated: 'The vast majority of identified suspects (79 per cent)
are Asian (59 of 75), 12 per cent are white and five per cent are
African Caribbean. 62 per cent of Asian suspects are of Pakistani
origin.
'Pakistani males account for half of all identified suspects in the force (37 of 75).
'Offenders are likely to have a history of previous sexual offences, as well as a wide range of other offences and convictions.
'A
high level of organised criminality has now been evidenced both across
the force area and regionally, with multiple offenders working together
to identify, groom and abuse victims.
'In
a number of organised groups victims are forced into prostitution and
high levels of intimidation and force are used to keep the victims
compliant.'
Concerns: The report speaks of an
upcoming English Defence League march through Dudley a month later,
which saw streets emptied and shops boarded up
The shocking document also highlighted fears of 'community tensions' if the police made the report's findings public.
HOW WEST MIDLANDS REPORT HAS SHADES OF ROTHERHAM SCANDAL
West
Midlands Police's decision to withhold details of alleged child abuse
amid fears of increasing racial tensions has shades of the scandal in
Rotherham.
Police
and social workers in the South Yorkshire town were accused of being
too concerned about being labelled racist to speak out about the crimes
involving 1,400 children.
Yesterday
it emerged that the massive inquiry into the Rotherham sex abuse
scandal could run until at least 2018 and has so far identified 300
suspects.
Investigators
say the number of possible offenders is changing on a ‘daily basis’ and
they suspect ‘thousands of offences’ have been committed.
The
team has seized 92 boxes containing several thousand files and
identified more than 3,300 lines of inquiry. The suspects are
‘predominantly’ Asian men from the South Yorkshire town and include two
who have worked for the council. Their victims are mainly white,
British, underage and ‘vulnerable’ girls.
Operation
Stovewood is currently costing up to £5million every year, and is still
likely to be ongoing in three years’ time – putting the total bill for
the inquiry at around £15million.
So
far the inquiry has backed an original estimate that 1,400 girls were
abused in Rotherham during a 16-year period from 1997 to 2013.
Last night children’s charities demanded that the men should be brought to justice.
Barnardo’s
chief executive Javed Khan said: ‘Because so many vulnerable children
were ignored by the authorities, groomers got away with exploiting them
for years.
‘Ensuring
the cases against groomers go to trial is vital in giving sexually
exploited children confidence that the justice system does work for
them; that if they come forward, they will be believed and supported'.
It
stated: 'The predominant offender profile of Pakistani Muslim males...
combined with the predominant victim profile of white females has the
potential to cause significant community tensions.
'There
is a potential for a backlash against the vast majority of law abiding
citizens from Asian/Pakistani communities from other members of the
community believing their children have been exploited.
'These
factors, combined with an EDL protest in Dudley in April and a General
Election in May could notably increase community tension.
'Police
will be criticised if it appears we have not safeguarded vulnerable
children, investigated offences and prosecuted offenders.'
The lengthy report concluded authorities in the West Midlands needed to improve its care of missing care home children.
It
stated: 'There is strong evidence in the vast majority of all cases
that the victims are enticed, stupefied or controlled by alcohol and a
mixture of controlled drugs.
'The
victims are already suffering from health conditions relating to their
chaotic lifestyle and exploitation (Pregnancy, termination, STDs,
neglect, and physical and psychological problems).'
West
Midlands Police Assistant Chief Constable Carl Foulkes said: 'These
reports, spanning six years, give a real insight into the journey we
have undertaken along with our partners into investigating and tackling
child sexual exploitation.
'There
is no doubt that there has been a significant cultural change within
the force in respect of this issue and it is now very clear that the
responsibility of tackling CSE (child sexual exploitation) lies with
every police officer, staff member, PCSO and special constable.
'The
force has carried out extensive work to train officers across the force
in how to identify and deal with CSE so we can gain as much
intelligence as possible and thereby improving the outcomes for victims.
'We
continue to take great steps and as a result of our efforts and without
doubt the coverage within local and national media, we are seeing more
victims coming forward to report abuse, knowing we will take their
allegations seriously and treat them sensitively and respectfully.'
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