CSE allegations - Oldham Conservative Group seeks answers

Four Conservative councillors - John Hudson, Graham Sheldon, Jamie Curley and Pam Byrne - state that the investigation has reached the 'point of no return' and demand answers for the people of Oldham

Councillor John Hudson OBE and his Conservative Group have written to the Leader and all elected members of Oldham Council regarding an investigation into the increasing allegations of Child Sexual Exploitation in the Borough.

In the letter, the four councillors - Mr Hudson, Graham Sheldon, Jamie Curley and Pam Byrne - state that the investigation has reached the 'point of no return' and demand answers for the people of Oldham.

The letter reads: "In 2019 Oldham Council sought a review into Child Sexual Exploitation in the Borough of Oldham, that will be conducted by Malcolm Newsam MBE and Gary Ridgeway, as part of their work to review historical cases of CSE in Greater Manchester and apply any lessons that can further improve current practice.

"However, since then further allegations have been made both online by Raja Miah MBE about CSE and of criminal acts by public servants and in the courts in regards to former Oldham councillors who have since been prosecuted for serious criminal offences.

"Given the distress this is causing to people living within our Borough, we believe that the current scope of the review is now far too narrow and believe that Oldham Council needs to open itself up to the full scrutiny of an independent investigation headed by the Home Office and under the purview of the Home Secretary."

The letter goes on to say that the Conservative Group don't feel that the Executive Leadership, Mayor of Greater Manchester or Oldham Council can deal with the 'growing allegations' and that the Borough needs to 'do the right thing and ask for help in order to establish the truth'.

"We are now at the point of no return and it is an issue which we and every grandparent, parent and person in our Borough wants answers to," the letter concludes.

An independent review is taking place into allegations of sexual exploitation in the borough dating back to 2011 which concern ‘shisha bars, taxi companies and children’s homes’.

The review is being led by experts Mr Newsam, a former commissioner for social care in Rotherham, and Detective Superintendent Ridgway of Cambridgeshire Police, who worked on the Operation Augusta investigation in Manchester.

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