Newspaper review: Rochdale 'dreadfulness' sinks in

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-19754536

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Many of the UK papers contemplate the aftermath of a report that revealed police and social services "missed opportunities" to stop the grooming of young girls in Rochdale, Greater Manchester.

<a href="http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/leaders/article3551915.ece" >The Times reports that it has "taken some days for the full dreadfulness"</a> of what happened there "to percolate" into public consciousness.

<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/rochdale-child-sex-grooming-ring-1347257" >"Unforgivable" is the word used by the Daily Mirror</a> to describe the scandal in which authorities were unable to protect girls as young as 10 from years of sexual abuse by older men.

One victim describes in <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/article4560886.ece" >the Sun what the paper calls "her appalling ordeal".</a>

"Fear of wrongly being labelled racist" was perhaps a reason why authorities did so little, <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2209724/Wholl-blame-Not-single-social-worker-sacked-teenage-grooming-scandal.html" >explains the Daily Mail.</a>

The search for a missing 15-year-old girl and her teacher continues, and the papers carry several accounts of young women's affairs with older men.

<a href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/real-life-stories/like-megan-stammers-i-ran-away-1347536" >"I was deluded," Rachel Russell tells the Mirror.</a>

Jenny Hughes, in <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/9570841/Like-Megan-Stammers-I-had-an-affair-with-a-teacher.html" >the Daily Telegraph, adds:</a> "I didn't feel that I was being exploited," but now she thinks, "someone should have stopped us".

The columnist Jan Moir in <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/index.html" >the Mail says the situation amounts to</a> "the abduction of a child by a scheming adult".

'Common sense'

Former England captain John Terry gets little sympathy after being found guilty of racially abusing a player.

<a href="http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/274330/TERRY-BAN-TOO-SOFT-/" >The Daily Star says fans will think the four-match ban "too soft"</a> and the fine of £220,000 no great penalty for a man who earns that much in a week.

<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/sep/27/john-terry-football-association-racism-ban" >"Terry gets off lightly," the Guardian adds</a>. "But his reputation may not recover."

<a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2209734/John-Terry-race-case-FA-Chelsea-captain-guilty.html" >The Daily Mail</a> calls him "the pariah", while <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/john-terry-banned-for-four-matches-and-fined-220000-after-fa-find-chelsea-captain-guilty-over-racism-charge-8181827.html" >the Independent</a> reads: "J.T. Captain. Leader. Legend. Racist."

Judges are often pilloried by papers, but Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, is praised for telling burglars they should accept the risk of being shot.

<a href="http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/348681/Judge-We-have-a-right-to-fight-back-at-burglars" >The Daily Express commends him for "speaking up for the rights of householders".</a>

The paper says it is "a disorientating experience" to catch members of the judiciary "talking common sense".

<a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4560810/Englands-top-judge-says-it-is-right-to-fight-off-burglars.html" >Finally, the Sun cannot stifle the urge to comment</a> that the judge's words were in fact "well judged".