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| West Yorkshire police and agencies 'failed to protect' groomed girl | |
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| Police and social services in West Yorkshire were guilty of “a serious systematic failure” to safeguard a vulnerable girl who was groomed and raped by at least 13 men, an investigation has found. | Police and social services in West Yorkshire were guilty of “a serious systematic failure” to safeguard a vulnerable girl who was groomed and raped by at least 13 men, an investigation has found. |
| A serious case review by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board found insufficient steps were taken to protect the girl from exploitation. | A serious case review by the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board found insufficient steps were taken to protect the girl from exploitation. |
| Known by the pseudonym Autumn, the girl was 12 when she was assessed by the children’s charity Barnados as being at high risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). At that point, in July 2010, she had gone missing twice from her home in Keighley, near Bradford, and had received texts and phone calls from much older, unknown men. | Known by the pseudonym Autumn, the girl was 12 when she was assessed by the children’s charity Barnados as being at high risk of child sexual exploitation (CSE). At that point, in July 2010, she had gone missing twice from her home in Keighley, near Bradford, and had received texts and phone calls from much older, unknown men. |
| The review said West Yorkshire police held the belief that children such as Autumn were “actively consenting and choosing to become involved” with the men. | The review said West Yorkshire police held the belief that children such as Autumn were “actively consenting and choosing to become involved” with the men. |
| Although members of Autumn’s family suspected she was being exploited it was not until July 2012 that police began to actively investigate her abusers. By that point she had been recorded missing 70 times, her school attendance was down to 42%, and she had been deemed by social workers to be “in the top 10 young people at risk of CSE in Bradford”. | Although members of Autumn’s family suspected she was being exploited it was not until July 2012 that police began to actively investigate her abusers. By that point she had been recorded missing 70 times, her school attendance was down to 42%, and she had been deemed by social workers to be “in the top 10 young people at risk of CSE in Bradford”. |
| The review blamed a “multi-agency failure” to respond appropriately after Autumn reported being raped in May 2011, when she was 13. She quickly withdrew the allegations and police did not try to get her to consent to a forensic examination. | The review blamed a “multi-agency failure” to respond appropriately after Autumn reported being raped in May 2011, when she was 13. She quickly withdrew the allegations and police did not try to get her to consent to a forensic examination. |
| Neither police, nor her school, nor her GP reported the allegation to Children’s Specialist Services. No pertinent questions were asked when she went to get a contraceptive implant fitted in March 2012, despite local concerns “about young girls being encouraged by groomers to have implants fitted”. | Neither police, nor her school, nor her GP reported the allegation to Children’s Specialist Services. No pertinent questions were asked when she went to get a contraceptive implant fitted in March 2012, despite local concerns “about young girls being encouraged by groomers to have implants fitted”. |
| In September 2011, staff at Autumn’s school found a used condom in her coat. They threw it away after calling the police, who said no crime had been committed and so it could be disposed of, rather than it being analysed for DNA. | In September 2011, staff at Autumn’s school found a used condom in her coat. They threw it away after calling the police, who said no crime had been committed and so it could be disposed of, rather than it being analysed for DNA. |
| Autumn reported being terrified that her abusers would hurt her or her family. In July 2011 her school and police recorded an incident in which Autumn alleged she had been “roughed up” by an Asian man. Buttons were missing from her shirt and there were finger/hand marks where she had been grabbed. The report noted she wasn’t medically examined but staff from her school “were sufficiently concerned about the external threats to Autumn to have stopped picking her up in their own car”. | Autumn reported being terrified that her abusers would hurt her or her family. In July 2011 her school and police recorded an incident in which Autumn alleged she had been “roughed up” by an Asian man. Buttons were missing from her shirt and there were finger/hand marks where she had been grabbed. The report noted she wasn’t medically examined but staff from her school “were sufficiently concerned about the external threats to Autumn to have stopped picking her up in their own car”. |
| Police installed alarms at Autumn’s grandmother’s house, where she was living, and the fire service fitted alarms and devices to the letter box to protect it from petrol bombs. | Police installed alarms at Autumn’s grandmother’s house, where she was living, and the fire service fitted alarms and devices to the letter box to protect it from petrol bombs. |
| In February 2012, three masked men assaulted Autumn’s uncle with a baseball bat. He believed the men wanted Autumn’s laptop, which contained photos and phone numbers. The uncle was left with 18 stitches in a head wound and Autumn told the local CSE worker she had broken ribs. This was neither reported nor investigated further. | In February 2012, three masked men assaulted Autumn’s uncle with a baseball bat. He believed the men wanted Autumn’s laptop, which contained photos and phone numbers. The uncle was left with 18 stitches in a head wound and Autumn told the local CSE worker she had broken ribs. This was neither reported nor investigated further. |
| “The police also defined Autumn as unreliable and as someone who would lie to them at this time and this was communicated to other agencies,” the review authors said. At the time, West Yorkshire police held the view “that troublesome teenagers going missing were diverting attention from other strategic priorities in relation to acquisitive crime”, they said. | “The police also defined Autumn as unreliable and as someone who would lie to them at this time and this was communicated to other agencies,” the review authors said. At the time, West Yorkshire police held the view “that troublesome teenagers going missing were diverting attention from other strategic priorities in relation to acquisitive crime”, they said. |
| Twelve men, aged 19 to 63, were jailed in February for abusing Autumn. But her main abuser, a convicted drug dealer called Arif Chowdhury, who took her virginity when he raped her in May 2011, skipped bail and was later tracked down living in Bangladesh. | Twelve men, aged 19 to 63, were jailed in February for abusing Autumn. But her main abuser, a convicted drug dealer called Arif Chowdhury, who took her virginity when he raped her in May 2011, skipped bail and was later tracked down living in Bangladesh. |
| Det Supt Nick Wallen, the investigating officer, confirmed on Tuesday they were still trying to bring a final suspect back to Britain: “At the moment there are some difficult logistical and diplomatic difficulties in respect of where we believe he is in the world. West Yorkshire police are absolutely determined to bring him back to face justice.” | Det Supt Nick Wallen, the investigating officer, confirmed on Tuesday they were still trying to bring a final suspect back to Britain: “At the moment there are some difficult logistical and diplomatic difficulties in respect of where we believe he is in the world. West Yorkshire police are absolutely determined to bring him back to face justice.” |
| He said the force accepted all of the criticisms in the report. | He said the force accepted all of the criticisms in the report. |
| All of Autumn’s abusers were of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin. She looked white, but her paternal grandfather was Pakistani and she grew up in a predominantly Asian part of her community, with relatively few white families living nearby. When she started secondary school she “embraced aspects of a Pakistani identity”, wearing Asian dress and speaking some Urdu, the review said. | All of Autumn’s abusers were of Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin. She looked white, but her paternal grandfather was Pakistani and she grew up in a predominantly Asian part of her community, with relatively few white families living nearby. When she started secondary school she “embraced aspects of a Pakistani identity”, wearing Asian dress and speaking some Urdu, the review said. |
| Priti Patel, who chaired the review, said the panel examined whether any of the failures were due to misplaced political correctness which made the authorities reluctant to blame Asian men for grooming white girls. | Priti Patel, who chaired the review, said the panel examined whether any of the failures were due to misplaced political correctness which made the authorities reluctant to blame Asian men for grooming white girls. |
| “It was something that was considered as part of the review. But as part of the process, practitioners were spoken to and there was no evidence we could find that it had a bearing on what happened to Autumn,” Patel said. | “It was something that was considered as part of the review. But as part of the process, practitioners were spoken to and there was no evidence we could find that it had a bearing on what happened to Autumn,” Patel said. |
| David Niven, the independent chair of the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, said: “These offences were committed a number of years ago. So much since then has changed in awareness, learning and education when it comes to the sexual exploitation of children. We all learn things in retrospect. Of course, we wish we were as aware then as we are now – our work with Autumn has shown that. | David Niven, the independent chair of the Bradford Safeguarding Children Board, said: “These offences were committed a number of years ago. So much since then has changed in awareness, learning and education when it comes to the sexual exploitation of children. We all learn things in retrospect. Of course, we wish we were as aware then as we are now – our work with Autumn has shown that. |
| “With all we have learned since then, I am absolutely convinced that many other potential Autumns have been prevented in the last few years.” | “With all we have learned since then, I am absolutely convinced that many other potential Autumns have been prevented in the last few years.” |
| West Yorkshire police said it was investigating complaints from 222 potential CSE victims against 284 suspects in the Bradford district. | West Yorkshire police said it was investigating complaints from 222 potential CSE victims against 284 suspects in the Bradford district. |