Sean Fielding responds after Oldham Conservative Group demands answers about CSE allegations

Leader of Oldham Council, Sean Fielding, has responded to a letter from Councillor John Hudson and his Conservative Group regarding the investigation into increasing allegations of Child Sexual Exploitation in the borough.

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.

A copy of the letter was posted on their Facebook page and demanded answers for the people of Oldham. 

They said that the 'current scope of the review is far too narrow' and that the council needs to 'open itself up to the full scrutiny of an independent investigation headed by the Home Office.

Sean Fielding responded yesterday (2nd September) saying:

"As you are aware the review is independent from the Council and, as such, we are not in control of the timeline so cannot confirm when this will be complete. The priority needs to be on ensuring the review has both the time and resources it needs to deliver a thorough and robust investigation."

He added that it is the 'deliberate intention of some' to 'undermine the process' by pre-empting the findings of the review - something he has been vocal about in the past. 

He added:

"If, at the point that the review reports, their findings are such that issues are identified which warrant further investigation by either the current review team or others, then representatives of all political groups on the Council will have the opportunity to discuss appropriate next steps. 

"This is consistent with the approach that we took to requesting GM commission the current review whereby Councillor Hudson, as leader of your Conservative Group, was involved in the discussion with Group Leaders and with the Chief Executive."

He went on to ask for clarification on a few points in the letter. Firstly that the scope of the current review is 'too narrow'. He said:

"It has been stated repeatedly that the investigation will follow the evidence, and the terms of reference say the scope will 'not be limited to' that outlined. If you beleive there to be something specific which the review should cover but which isn't explicitly set out within the current scope I would urge you to outline this clearly so we can share this with the review team."

He also referred to the further allegations made online by Raja Miah and said:

"As you know a former Oldham Councillor was found guilty of a serious criminal offence in the last year. This individual has resigned his position on the Council before his conviction and all appropriate safeguarding actions were taken when the Council was informed of the investigation. 

"If you have any evidence of other 'criminal acts by public servants' I would strongly urge you to report these to the appropriate authorities, ideally Greater Manchester Police, so that they can be appropriately investigated and action taken. 

"Our priority, as always, is keeping people in Oldham safe."

He ended the letter by saying that child sexual exploitation is 'abhorrent' and an issue that should 'transcend politics'. He added that despite his disagreements with Conservative Party, he hopes they can,"unite to ensure that young people in our borough are safe and that victims of child abuse achieve the justice that they deserve".

You can read the full letter here.

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