The Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has described last night’s Channel Four documentary as being harrowing to watch
The documentary Groomed A National Scandal focused on the controversy surrounding the failure to bring to justice the perpetrators of criminal grooming gangs, highlighting the failures of every single criminal justice agency, as well as social services and health, when it came to protecting girls and locking up the perpetrators
“It laid bare the failures of the authorities at the time to protect children and brought home the full human impact of these appalling crimes through the words of the victims.” said the Mayor
The documentary will once again lead to calls for a national inquiry, something that Burnham has supported
Meanwhile Greater Manchester Police said in a statement that Groomed’ was a stark reminder of the shocking child sexual abuse that vulnerable young girls were subjected to in our towns and cities, and our clear failure to listen to victims and deal with the offenders.
Assistant Chief Constable Steph Parker is GMP lead for Vulnerability and Public Protection said: “We’ve fully accepted and apologised for the extent of our past failings in tackling this horrific abuse. We badly let down vulnerable young girls when they needed us the most.
“It is vital this never happens again. That’s why we have been committed to co-operating with all local inquiries and implementing the lessons from them. These are lessons which have long since been learnt, and are now very much established in our current practices in GM.
