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Rochdale child abuse victims 'could have been protected'

A major review has found police and social workers failed six girls who were sexually abused in Rochdale between 2007 and 2010. But the Department of Education said the report "does not meet the standards of transparency and sharp analysis."

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Rochdale MP: Police snobbery allowed gangs to flourish

Class snobbery by police against young girls from council estates allowed the Asian sex grooming gangs to flourish, the local MP has said.

Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP for Rochdale, said officers' attitudes to victims' backgrounds was one of a catalogue of failings by Greater Manchester Police and other agencies in their handling of the scandal, highlighted in the Serious Case Review published today.

This highlights exactly the concern I raised earlier this year when I said there needed to be a change of culture within GMP in tackling child abuse.

I have also said judgments were made against young people on council estates because of their background and class, and this report confirms this.

The approach has been completely wrong. Senior police officers keep talking about deploying more resources, but they're sending out untrained officers who cannot win the trust of victims.

We need better leadership on this issue.It worries me that the report shows there is evidence of a focus on performance targets, which has meant that child sexual exploitation is not a police priority.

This crime has done a huge amount of damage to our town and the police have to give it more attention.

– Simon Danczuk MP for Rochdale
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Rochdale child abuse victims 'could have been protected'

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