Saira Khan, Sammy Woodhouse and Maggie Oliver team up for Loose Women's Never Too Late To Tell campaign
MAGGIE OLIVER, SAMMY WOODHOUSE AND SAIRA KHAN JOIN FORCES FOR OUR NEVER TOO LATE TO TELL - CHILD GROOMING
More than one in 10 women have experienced childhood sexual abuse and 75% have never told anyone about it.
Our Saira knows how hard it can be to speak out about abuse. She broke down on Loose Women in 2017 telling how she was molested by an uncle at 13, a secret she had kept for decades.
Now Saira has teamed up with Maggie and Sammy as part of our Never Too Late To Tell campaign to ensure people have someone to talk to in confidence.
Sammy said: 'I want to turn my experience that was so negative into a positive and to help other people. I don’t want to keep hearing or seeing little Sammys everywhere all over the country. If it helps just one I’ve done what I came to do.'
Maggie added: 'This is such a positive campaign by Loose Women because we are continuing the debate. We’re talking about it and educating people.'
Sammy Woodhouse was groomed aged just 14 by a man 10 years her senior. Shecame from a stable home but was groomed by Arshid Hussain, who subjected her to brutal beatings even when she was pregnant with his child at 15. He was jailed for 35 years for abusing girls in Rotherham in 2016.
Former Rochdale detective Maggie quit Greater Manchester Police in disgust at officers who saw vulnerable young girls as 'madams' and prostitutes and has been campaigning ever since.
'We are speaking out now about what is going on to children who are not in a position to speak out for themselves, where their voice hasn’t been heard,' Maggie said. 'We have to continue with that voice to bring about changes and we really will put a stop to this. Without that we never will.'
The women gave further advice on recording evidence, having an open dialogue with children, monitoring technology, enlisting help and looking for changes in children’s behaviour as signs of abuse.
'Keep the lines of communication open. Don’t become the enemy with your child,' Maggie advised. 'If you become "I told you so", if you become the enemy, your child will close down. People make mistakes, kids make mistakes, but make sure you’re not shutting the door and isolating that child even further.'
Since the Never Too Late To Tell campaign began in December 2016, Penny Lancaster, Karen Danczuk and others have opened up on the about the abuse they endured.
Watch the videos to see the full campaign on the show which aims to help parents if they have concerns about children being groomed.