Rochdale abuse: Social services 'missed opportunities'
The men plied their victims with drink and drugs so they could "pass them around" for sex
Social services and police "missed opportunities" to stop the sexual abuse of young girls in Rochdale, a report into a grooming scandal has revealed.
"Deficiencies" and "patchy" training of front line staff were behind the failings, the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board said in its review of child sexual exploitation.
It comes after nine men were jailed in May for grooming girls as young as 13.
Lawyers say the findings could support "legal action against social services".
The report - ordered in the aftermath of the grooming trial in Rochdale, Greater Manchester - reviews the work of local agencies, including the council, police and the Crown Prosecution Service between 2007 and 2012 in safeguarding children at risk of sexual exploitation.
Using feedback from 23 support staff, it charts the experience of one victim from 2007 to 2010.
Failed to act
It reveals the girl spoke to support workers on several occasions about the abuse she was suffering - including giving a detailed complaint to detectives.
However, the report suggests some child protection services failed to act and the abuse continued.
It says: "While some organisations were consistently supportive in their response, overall child welfare organisations missed opportunities to provide a comprehensive, co-ordinated and timely response and, in addition, the criminal justice system missed opportunities to bring the perpetrators to justice."
It also reports that "activity to disrupt alleged offenders was developing on the ground, but this was not always followed through at a more senior level".
"The early investigations of crimes and the prosecution of alleged offenders were flawed."
The report also shows some officials believed vulnerable girls as young as 10 - who were being groomed for sexual abuse - were "making their own choices".
One of the girl's parents said they were simply told their teenage daughter was hanging out with a bad crowd, it says.
Richard Scorer of Pannone Solicitors, which represents one of the victims in the recent case, said he expected legal proceedings to follow: "There's clear evidence that social services failed to act, failed to intervene, when they had this mass of information, about this grooming and exploitation of young girls.
"They failed to act on that information, even though they had a responsibility to do that. And that's the basis of any legal action we'll be putting forward."
He added: "Obviously we need to... build up the detail of exactly what happened.
"But I think this report probably does give us a pretty firm basis for legal action against social services."
'Passed around' for sex
Lynne Jones, chair of the Rochdale Borough Safeguarding Children Board, said the council had "responded" to the review and had "improvements" had already been put in place.
"I believe organisations are working better together, sharing information to ensure children are protected and that perpetrators of these crimes are prosecuted," she said.
"Raising awareness so that young people are better equipped to understand what is happening to them or their friends has been delivered to 10,000 young people."
She also said staff training had been improved and "stronger joint working" on police operations was helping to bring more perpetrators to justice.
In May, nine men who ran a child sexual exploitation ring in Rochdale were jailed.
They were given sentences ranging from four to 19 years at Liverpool Crown Court after being found guilty of offences including rape.
All were convicted of conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with girls under the age of 16.
The court heard the group plied five victims with drink and drugs and "passed them around" for sex.
The girls were abused at two takeaway restaurants in the Heywood area of Rochdale by the men aged between 24 and 59. The takeaways are now under new management.
One man later received a further term of 22 years on another 30 child rape charges.
It emerged during the trial the police and social services had missed opportunities to stop the abuse.
The prime purpose of the review will be to establish what further lessons can be learned to improve the way children are safeguarded.
