Ten police officers probed over Rotherham abuse handling

The Commissioner of the Independent Police Complaints Commission has said she hopes the investigation into 10 police officers is seen as a "positive step" for Rotherham abuse victims and their families.

Kathryn Stone said: "The amount of public concern across the country about this episode and the impact on confidence in the police means it is important that a fully independent investigation is conducted to establish how South Yorkshire Police dealt with child sexual exploitation.

"I sincerely hope that victims and their families will see this investigation as a positive step towards answering the many questions they must have.

"I have met with South Yorkshire Police and am reassured by their commitment to fully cooperate with the investigation."

Ten police officers being investigated by the Independent Police Commission were part of a group of 13 referred by South Yorkshire Police.

The other three officers will not face investigation at this time, the IPCC said.

It was decided two did not justify an investigation involving the police watchdog, while the third officer remains under review.

The ten officers were identified through the Jay Report, which found more than 1,400 children had been subjected to child sex abuse in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

It also criticised the way in which South Yorkshire Police and Rotherham Council dealt with complaints from teenage girls who said they had been raped and trafficked by gangs of mainly Asian men.

The other three officers referred to were identified by a separate internal report.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission today said it would investigate 10 South Yorkshire police officers over their handling of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.