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South Yorkshire Police warned twice of Rotherham child abuse but did not act, as commissioner claims girls were seen as 'willing'

Senior officers said car theft and burglary were policing priorities set by the Government at the time

Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith

Tuesday 05 May 2015 13:18 BST

Hundreds of children were abused in Rotherham (AFP)

Senior members of South Yorkshire police were warned twice of the serious child abuse being carried out in Rotherham around a decade before it was discovered 1,400 children had been raped, trafficked and groomed over a period of 16 years – but no action was taken at the time.

The Sheffield Star has obtained reports from 2003 and 2006 detailing the organised child sexual exploitation being carried out in Rotherham and Sheffield.

Dr Angie Heal, the author of the reports, stated at the time it was “very evident” that “significant abuse” was taking place in Sheffield and Rotherham, in 2003, and in 2006 found that that the perpetrators of sexual abuse had been able to “carry on with impunity”.

The reports were sent to both South Yorkshire Police district commanders, chief superintendents and CID and community safety superintendents at the time, but no action was taken. The newspaper obtained the documents through a Freedom of Information request.

As the news of the warnings emerge, South Yorkshire’s current police and crime commissioner has claimed that “it all went wrong” in Rotherham because police had not understood what grooming was, nor recognised the abuse, and had instead seen the girls as prostitutes.

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

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1/10In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

A campaigner holds a banner at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, during an event organised by the White Flowers Campaign Group, in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Pictures, messages and floral tributes left at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Jenny Tomlin, the mother of Martine McCutcheon, attends a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the White Flowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Child abuse campaigner Bill Maloney speaks to relatives, supporters, victims and survivors of abuse as they gather at Old Palace Yard in Westminster to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Rotherham MP Sarah Champion speaks during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Simon Danczuk MP speaks during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

John Mann MP attends a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

A woman leaves a floral tribute at Old Palace Yard in Westminster

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Relatives, supporters and survivors of abuse hold a minutes silence during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

In pictures: White Flowers Campaign to support child abuse victims

White Flowers Campaign

Jenny Tomlin, the mother of Martine McCutcheon (left) supports Esther Grace of Cardiff, a victim and survivor of abuse, during a gathering at Old Palace Yard in Westminster, organised by the WhiteFlowers Campaign Group, to lay white flowers in commemoration of victims and survivors of child abuse

Alan Billings told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I don’t think any of us at the time understood what grooming was and that this was grooming.

“I think we saw these girls not as victims but as troublesome young people out of control, and willing participants.

“We saw it as child prostitution rather than child abuse, and I think that was broadly accepted and that’s why it all went wrong.”

In addition to the lack of recognition of the widespread child abuse in Rotherham, Billings said police had been prioritising burglary and car theft because of public demands at the time.

Dr Heal told the Sheffield Star that child sexual exploitation had been put in the “too hard to deal with tray” and a senior police officer informed her at the time that “burglary and car crime were policing priorities set by the government”.

The documents compiled by Dr Heal included a list of suspected perpetrators in the area. They detailed a number of cases where the police had failed to act on reports of rape and abuse, and where people had been intimidated into not reporting sexual crimes.

One case saw an 18-year-old girl report to police that she had been raped by a known heroin dealer, but instead of investigating the allegations, police arrested the girl for theft and never followed up on the rape claim.

The list of suspected perpetrators had been redacted by Rotherham Council.n

Additional reporting by PA