This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/24/child-sex-abuse-in-rotherham-i-was-treated-as-a-criminal-never-as-a-victim
The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Previous version
1
Next version
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Child sex abuse in Rotherham: 'I was treated as a criminal … never as a victim' | Child sex abuse in Rotherham: 'I was treated as a criminal … never as a victim' |
| (6 months later) | |
| Jessica was 14 and he was 24. He had a flashy car, designer clothes and flattered her with compliments and gifts, including a mobile phone. She had already been abused by three other adults by the time Arshid Hussain got to her. | Jessica was 14 and he was 24. He had a flashy car, designer clothes and flattered her with compliments and gifts, including a mobile phone. She had already been abused by three other adults by the time Arshid Hussain got to her. |
| Soon she was “skipping” to school, knowing he would be waiting for her at the gates at lunchtimes. She told him she was 14 the first night they met. Within a month he had had sex with her and continued to do so on a daily basis in different locations to avoid detection. She started playing truant and going missing from home. | Soon she was “skipping” to school, knowing he would be waiting for her at the gates at lunchtimes. She told him she was 14 the first night they met. Within a month he had had sex with her and continued to do so on a daily basis in different locations to avoid detection. She started playing truant and going missing from home. |
| Within four months of meeting Hussain, Jessica was pregnant. He told her to have a termination as otherwise he would be sent to prison. “I thought we were getting married and having kids, I were so naive,” she says. Hussain hadn’t told her he was already married, nor did he tell her he had abused seven girls before her. | Within four months of meeting Hussain, Jessica was pregnant. He told her to have a termination as otherwise he would be sent to prison. “I thought we were getting married and having kids, I were so naive,” she says. Hussain hadn’t told her he was already married, nor did he tell her he had abused seven girls before her. |
| A year later she was pregnant again and at 15 gave birth. What should have been a happy, protected childhood had already morphed into a life of trauma, punctuated by sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, and – to this day, she says – intimidation by Hussain’s associates in Rotherham. | A year later she was pregnant again and at 15 gave birth. What should have been a happy, protected childhood had already morphed into a life of trauma, punctuated by sexual violence, suicidal thoughts, and – to this day, she says – intimidation by Hussain’s associates in Rotherham. |
| She was on the police radar within days of meeting Hussain. “Dad thought he was a paedophile. He wasn’t happy at all and called the police straight away. He and Mum were constantly making complaints for two years but the police did nothing because they said I wouldn’t give a statement.” | She was on the police radar within days of meeting Hussain. “Dad thought he was a paedophile. He wasn’t happy at all and called the police straight away. He and Mum were constantly making complaints for two years but the police did nothing because they said I wouldn’t give a statement.” |
| Looking back, she cannot understand why her parents weren’t heeded. Jessica was later put into foster care. | Looking back, she cannot understand why her parents weren’t heeded. Jessica was later put into foster care. |
| “They even caught me in bed with him – the police, that time they raided the house when I were missing. Me and Ash were in bed. I picked up some pants and jumped under the bed and he pulled up his trousers. They charged me with having a truncheon [which was under the bed] and they let him go.” | “They even caught me in bed with him – the police, that time they raided the house when I were missing. Me and Ash were in bed. I picked up some pants and jumped under the bed and he pulled up his trousers. They charged me with having a truncheon [which was under the bed] and they let him go.” |
| If the sight of a 14-year-old in bed with a 24-year-old was not enough to prompt action, the threat of violence and physical harm should have been. | If the sight of a 14-year-old in bed with a 24-year-old was not enough to prompt action, the threat of violence and physical harm should have been. |
| Shortly after the baby was born, Hussain grabbed Jessica by the throat and threatened to throw her over a balcony in the town market. “He was screaming at me. He said he were going to set my flat on fire and watch you and that black bastard [their son] burn.” | Shortly after the baby was born, Hussain grabbed Jessica by the throat and threatened to throw her over a balcony in the town market. “He was screaming at me. He said he were going to set my flat on fire and watch you and that black bastard [their son] burn.” |
| She reported it to a police officer in 2002, but says she was told it was her fault. “He [the police officer] said ‘he’s got every right to [push you over the balcony], you stopped him seeing his son’.” | She reported it to a police officer in 2002, but says she was told it was her fault. “He [the police officer] said ‘he’s got every right to [push you over the balcony], you stopped him seeing his son’.” |
| As a teenager, Jessica says, she was branded a “Paki-shagger” by people she was hanging round with and treated like a criminal because Hussain had got her involved in his drug gang. Although a vulnerable child, she was just seen as trouble. “I was treated as a criminal because he involved me in his gang. I was never treated as a victim ever.” | As a teenager, Jessica says, she was branded a “Paki-shagger” by people she was hanging round with and treated like a criminal because Hussain had got her involved in his drug gang. Although a vulnerable child, she was just seen as trouble. “I was treated as a criminal because he involved me in his gang. I was never treated as a victim ever.” |
| I felt guilty because of all the damage it did to my family and I felt like a complete freak | I felt guilty because of all the damage it did to my family and I felt like a complete freak |
| Jessica, now remarkably composed, describes the litany of missed opportunities to stop her abuse. She reported assaults, both sexual and violent, to police on several occasions, yet she was seen as an offender. | Jessica, now remarkably composed, describes the litany of missed opportunities to stop her abuse. She reported assaults, both sexual and violent, to police on several occasions, yet she was seen as an offender. |
| One police officer, she alleges, told social services she had made up a sexual assault to get a council house. | One police officer, she alleges, told social services she had made up a sexual assault to get a council house. |
| But it was only three years ago, 13 years after she was first groomed, that Jessica comprehended that she had been a victim at all, when she was in a shop and spotted an article about a grooming case involving three Asian men and 54 girls. | But it was only three years ago, 13 years after she was first groomed, that Jessica comprehended that she had been a victim at all, when she was in a shop and spotted an article about a grooming case involving three Asian men and 54 girls. |
| “It just clicked. I ran out of the shop and rang my sister and said ‘that’s me’. I just cried and cried and cried. I felt disgusting. I felt just like a piece of shit and I felt guilty because of all the damage it did to my family and I felt like a complete freak. | “It just clicked. I ran out of the shop and rang my sister and said ‘that’s me’. I just cried and cried and cried. I felt disgusting. I felt just like a piece of shit and I felt guilty because of all the damage it did to my family and I felt like a complete freak. |
| “When I did recognise it, it was so obvious, but not at the time. I felt really stupid. How could I not have seen that, but at the same time I did feel slight relief because things in my life started to make sense now, like me being angry and aggressive and me having an eating disorder.” | “When I did recognise it, it was so obvious, but not at the time. I felt really stupid. How could I not have seen that, but at the same time I did feel slight relief because things in my life started to make sense now, like me being angry and aggressive and me having an eating disorder.” |
| On Wednesday, Hussain was found guilty of abusing a number of victims including Jessica, on multiple counts including rape and indecent assault in addition to false imprisonment, abduction of a girl, and aiding and abetting rape. Three other men and two women were found guilty in the same trial of multiple counts of child sexual abuse. | On Wednesday, Hussain was found guilty of abusing a number of victims including Jessica, on multiple counts including rape and indecent assault in addition to false imprisonment, abduction of a girl, and aiding and abetting rape. Three other men and two women were found guilty in the same trial of multiple counts of child sexual abuse. |
| Jessica is planning to sue both the police and Rotherham council over their failure to protect her. | Jessica is planning to sue both the police and Rotherham council over their failure to protect her. |
| She also wants to know why a foster carer who was happy for Hussain to pick her up as long as she was back home by 10pm is still working with children, and why she was allowed to reconnect with Hussain nine years after she had escaped his clutches. “That was the worst mistake of my life,” she says. | She also wants to know why a foster carer who was happy for Hussain to pick her up as long as she was back home by 10pm is still working with children, and why she was allowed to reconnect with Hussain nine years after she had escaped his clutches. “That was the worst mistake of my life,” she says. |
| She was unable to cope as a single parent and had been pleading for help from social services, but none had come. “I told a police officer and a support worker that as a last resort I was thinking of getting on contact with Ash again. They came back and said he hadn’t been in trouble for five years,” she says. | She was unable to cope as a single parent and had been pleading for help from social services, but none had come. “I told a police officer and a support worker that as a last resort I was thinking of getting on contact with Ash again. They came back and said he hadn’t been in trouble for five years,” she says. |
| This is why she went to meet David Cameron last year, along with Prof Alexis Jay, the author of the explosive report that identified a potential 1,400 victims of sexual grooming in Rotherham. | This is why she went to meet David Cameron last year, along with Prof Alexis Jay, the author of the explosive report that identified a potential 1,400 victims of sexual grooming in Rotherham. |
| She wants all criminal records of children who were groomed to be expunged. “I told him if there’s anything on someone’s record as a result of the abuse, it needs to be wiped off because you can’t go round charging victims for their own abuse,” she says. | She wants all criminal records of children who were groomed to be expunged. “I told him if there’s anything on someone’s record as a result of the abuse, it needs to be wiped off because you can’t go round charging victims for their own abuse,” she says. |
| She urged the prime minister to launch a national action plan, to teach children about age-appropriate relationships but also to get emergency counselling services for abuse victims who under the current system are put on a waiting list for therapy. | She urged the prime minister to launch a national action plan, to teach children about age-appropriate relationships but also to get emergency counselling services for abuse victims who under the current system are put on a waiting list for therapy. |
Previous version
1
Next version