Rotherham MP launches anti-abuse website

Sarah Champion was elected Rotherham Labour MP in 2012

The MP for Rotherham has launched a website to help people spot and prevent child sexual exploitation.

The website is the latest in Sarah Champion's Dare2Care campaign launched in 2016 in the wake of the town's child sexual exploitation scandal.

Charity Barnardo's said the resource will help parents and professionals recognise signs of abuse earlier.

Ms Champion said she "would not rest until all children can grow up without fear of abuse".

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Ms Champion launched Dare2Care with the aim of preventing child abuse and violence in young people's relationships after the 2014 Jay report found at least 1,400 children had been abused in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

Ms Champion said its "biggest success to date" has been the government's commitment to relationship and sex education for all children as part of the 2017 Children and Social Work Act.

She said one in 20 children in the UK have been sexually abused.

"The horror of child abuse will not go away unless we all take action to prevent it," she added.

'Rebuild lives'

The website has been compiled with Barnardo's, the NSPCC, Mumsnet, the Sex Education Forum and the End Violence Against Women Coalition.

Barnardo's said in 2016-7, almost 3,500 people were supported through its child sexual exploitation services, an increase of 38% on the previous year.

Chief executive Javed Khan said: "We welcome the website which will help parents and professionals recognise signs of abuse in their children sooner.

"By doing so, more children will be able to get the specialist support needed to help rebuild their lives."

In August, Ms Champion resigned as Shadow Women and Equalities Minister following criticism of an article she wrote for The Sun referring to the "problem" of white girls being raped and exploited by British Pakistani men.