MPs warn over child sex abuse grooming

A MODEL of Pakistani–heritage men targeting young white girls for sexual exploitation exists — and authorities must be able to raise concerns without aaccusations of racism, an influential group of MPs says.

Police, social workers and others must acknowledge the issue that arose in recent high–profile grooming cases in Rochdale and Oxford, the Home Affairs Select Committee said.

But the committee added there was “no simple link” between race and child sexual exploitation.

The committee believes there are still places where victims are being failed by statutory agencies.

Committee chairman Keith Vaz said: “This has been a harrowing inquiry in which we have heard of children being treated in an appalling way, not just by their abusers but by the very agencies society has appointed to protect them.”

In May 2012, nine mostly Asian and British–Asian men from Rochdale and Oldham were found guilty of offences relating to so–called localised grooming.

A year after that verdict, seven men, from Oxford and mainly of Pakistani heritage, were convicted of offences relating to child sexual exploitation at the Old Bailey in London.

“There is no simple link between race and child sexual exploitation,” the committee report said, “but evidence suggests there is a model of localised grooming of Pakistani–heritage men targeting young white girls.

“This must be acknowledged by official agencies - who we were concerned to hear in some areas of particular community tension, had reportedly been slow to draw attention to the issue for fear of affecting community cohesion.

“The condemnation from those communities of this vile crime should demonstrate that there is no excuse for tip–toeing around this issue.”

The committee said councils in Rochdale and Rotherham were “inexcusably slow” to realise that sexual abuse was taking place in their doorstep.”