Sarah Champion MP gives evidence to Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse’s Investigation of Grooming Gangs

Sarah Champion, Member of Parliament for Rotherham, is a core participant in the IICSA (Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse) current investigation into organised networks of abuses, often called Grooming Gangs.

The inquiry focuses on eight themes;

  1. Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Problem Profiling (including gender and ethnicity) and disruption of offenders.

  2. Empathy and concern for child victims.

  3. Risk assessment and protection from harm.

  4. Missing children, return home interviews and looked after children.

  5. Male victims. 

  6. Children with a disability.

  7. Partnership working on child sexual exploitation.

  8. Audit, review and performance improvement.

Sarah’s written evidence was published today, and is available here.

Sarah Champion commented:

“I desperately hope the Inquiry will lead to a deeper understanding of this specific crime so that we can better protect children and disrupt abusers before they ruin lives.’

‘People have very fixed ideas when it comes to grooming gangs; about who the victims are and the motivations of the perpetrators. To be honest, most of this is based on misconceptions and does little to prevent the crime. The truth is, all children have vulnerabilities that can be preyed upon. There has simply not been enough research to have a really understanding of what drives this abuse. We need evidence, we need facts, we need support for survivors, and we need those in authority to act.”                               

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

The Inquiry started on 21st September and is scheduled to last for two weeks.

More information can be found here: https://www.iicsa.org.uk/investigations/child-sexual-exploitation-by-groups-and-gangs

Sarah Champion has consistently campaigned on child protection. She is the founder of Dare2Care, an initiative that aims to prevent child abuse and challenge the normalisation of violence in young people’s relationships. To find out more, please visit: www.dare2care.org.uk 

Sarah also established the APPG Adult Survivors of Childhood Sexual Abuse. To find out more, and access the report on ‘achieving quality information and support for survivors’, please visit: www.appgsurvivorscsa.co.uk

Alexander Guest