Rochdale grooming: Victim blaming led to failings, says deputy mayor

The police watchdog will look into the report on how abuse was handled by Greater Manchester Police

An "attitude of victim blaming" meant authorities failed to protect young girls from sexual abuse by grooming gangs, a city's deputy mayor has said.

A damming review exposed how Greater Manchester Police and Rochdale Council failed to tackle child abuse by Asian men in the town between 2003 and 2012.

Deputy mayor of Greater Manchester Kate Green said the report revealed how victims were not "trusted or believed".

The way police handle child abuse cases had since been overhauled, she said.

Ms Green told BBC Radio Manchester agencies at the time made "assumptions that these girls were troubled" and were " bringing it on themselves by their own behaviour".

'Past mistakes'

In her role overseeing policing, she said it was "really distressing" to hear that some people in Rochdale thought the police approach had not changed.

She said Greater Manchester Police had been asked for a further report to reassure the public that reports of abuse "will be taken seriously".

The report also revealed how 96 men had been identified as a potential risk to children in the town, and Ms Green said these suspects were being "actively monitored".

Hotels, fast food companies, taxis in the area "are all on the look out for signs of child sexual exploitation" and investigations are underway "to bring these perpetrators to justice", she added.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct has started its own review of the Rochdale report to investigate whether any matters need to be referred for further scrutiny.

Deputy mayor Kate Green said police had been asked to reassure the public

Ms Green said allegations that authorities failed to tackle grooming gangs over fears of being labelled racist were not substantiated in the report.

Local authorities across Greater Manchester would be taking steps to "bring communities together" in the aftermath of the review, which some may "seek to exploit and whip up tensions", she said.

"This is about criminal behaviour, a group of evil perpetrators, and communities need to come together and say this is not in our name, we stand together in condemning it."

A GMP spokeswoman said none of the force's staff were under investigation over the issues highlighted in the report.

But she said the force would taken action if any misconduct or criminality was found by its professional standards team.

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