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| Specialist Met unit in London to tackle gang-led child sex abuse | Specialist Met unit in London to tackle gang-led child sex abuse |
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| The Metropolitan police are setting up a specialist unit to counter Rochdale-style child sex abuse in London in response to a shocking report revealing the scale of incidents involving gangs across Britain. | The Metropolitan police are setting up a specialist unit to counter Rochdale-style child sex abuse in London in response to a shocking report revealing the scale of incidents involving gangs across Britain. |
| Eight men, suspected of "grooming" a young girl and passing her around for sex, were arrested in pre-dawn raids by 140 officers in east London and Hertfordshire on Wednesday, after a four-month investigation by the Met – which officers said was a sign that in the aftermath of the Rochdale scandal they would be focusing on the exploitation of children for sex. | Eight men, suspected of "grooming" a young girl and passing her around for sex, were arrested in pre-dawn raids by 140 officers in east London and Hertfordshire on Wednesday, after a four-month investigation by the Met – which officers said was a sign that in the aftermath of the Rochdale scandal they would be focusing on the exploitation of children for sex. |
| Commander Peter Spindler, head of the specialist crime command at the Met, said: "We are absolutely committed to tackling this type of offence and are using significant numbers of officers to do so." | Commander Peter Spindler, head of the specialist crime command at the Met, said: "We are absolutely committed to tackling this type of offence and are using significant numbers of officers to do so." |
| He revealed that a detailed review of the scale of child exploitation by gangs of men was being carried out across London's 32 boroughs. | He revealed that a detailed review of the scale of child exploitation by gangs of men was being carried out across London's 32 boroughs. |
| A new police unit would be set up within the force to focus on areas where there was evidence that children were being exploited, either after being groomed on the street or elsewhere. The unit would focus resources and intelligence on tackling the crime. | A new police unit would be set up within the force to focus on areas where there was evidence that children were being exploited, either after being groomed on the street or elsewhere. The unit would focus resources and intelligence on tackling the crime. |
| The arrests by the Met on Wednesday involved large-scale raids on nine properties in the boroughs of Newham, Redbridge and Havering, as well as one residential address in Hertfordshire. | The arrests by the Met on Wednesday involved large-scale raids on nine properties in the boroughs of Newham, Redbridge and Havering, as well as one residential address in Hertfordshire. |
| Eight men, aged between 21 and 24, were arrested from nine addresses by teams of officers who forced their way into their homes at 5am. | Eight men, aged between 21 and 24, were arrested from nine addresses by teams of officers who forced their way into their homes at 5am. |
| The men were taken into custody on suspicion of the rape and sexual assault over more than seven months of a girl under the age of 16. | The men were taken into custody on suspicion of the rape and sexual assault over more than seven months of a girl under the age of 16. |
| The victim went to the police last year and it is understood she alleged she had been groomed and passed around for sex by the men between May and November. | The victim went to the police last year and it is understood she alleged she had been groomed and passed around for sex by the men between May and November. |
| Detectives from the Met's Sapphire command, which specialises in combatting sex crimes, began an investigation that led to Wednesday's raids. | Detectives from the Met's Sapphire command, which specialises in combatting sex crimes, began an investigation that led to Wednesday's raids. |
| Detective Chief Inspector Adam Lowe, from the Sapphire command, urged other young people who might have been victims to contact police. During the raids a quantity of cash and drugs was also seized by officers. | Detective Chief Inspector Adam Lowe, from the Sapphire command, urged other young people who might have been victims to contact police. During the raids a quantity of cash and drugs was also seized by officers. |
| The arrests come as, Keir Starmer QC, the director of public prosecutions, outlined new, radical, ways by which prosecutors and police should tackle child sexual exploitation prosecutions in light of the revelations and failings identified by the Jimmy Savile case and the exploitation of young girls by the Rochdale gangs. | The arrests come as, Keir Starmer QC, the director of public prosecutions, outlined new, radical, ways by which prosecutors and police should tackle child sexual exploitation prosecutions in light of the revelations and failings identified by the Jimmy Savile case and the exploitation of young girls by the Rochdale gangs. |
| Starmer said these cases had shown that many victims were not confident enough to contact the authorities with their claims, nor had faith in the criminal justice system. He said the prosecuting authorities had had an over-cautious approach to prosecutions, and that had to change. | Starmer said these cases had shown that many victims were not confident enough to contact the authorities with their claims, nor had faith in the criminal justice system. He said the prosecuting authorities had had an over-cautious approach to prosecutions, and that had to change. |
| Urging police and prosecutors to face up to their shortcomings and be more thorough in dealing with child sex abuse, Starmer warned that the criminal justice system could not afford "another Savile moment" in five years' time. | Urging police and prosecutors to face up to their shortcomings and be more thorough in dealing with child sex abuse, Starmer warned that the criminal justice system could not afford "another Savile moment" in five years' time. |
| "We need to settle this," Starmer said. "Ten years or so ago it was thought that police and prosecutors were over-enthusiastic or over-eager in pursuing [such] cases. Now it is thought they are over-cautious. I don't think we can go on like this." | "We need to settle this," Starmer said. "Ten years or so ago it was thought that police and prosecutors were over-enthusiastic or over-eager in pursuing [such] cases. Now it is thought they are over-cautious. I don't think we can go on like this." |
| Starmer said the justice system had to look more carefully at the way it assessed credibility. | Starmer said the justice system had to look more carefully at the way it assessed credibility. |
| The increased focus on violent sexual crime against children in the capital is a response to the evidence unearthed by the deputy children's commissioner, Sue Berelowitz, in her report last year into child sexual exploitation by gangs. | The increased focus on violent sexual crime against children in the capital is a response to the evidence unearthed by the deputy children's commissioner, Sue Berelowitz, in her report last year into child sexual exploitation by gangs. |
| Berelowitz identified a phenomenon, particular to cities like London, where street gangs exploited girls their own age or slightly younger, and forced them to take part in sexual acts, with large groups of teenagers in some cases acting as part of the "initiation rite". | Berelowitz identified a phenomenon, particular to cities like London, where street gangs exploited girls their own age or slightly younger, and forced them to take part in sexual acts, with large groups of teenagers in some cases acting as part of the "initiation rite". |
| One girl, "Rochelle", said she was sexually exploited by a street gang over two years. They would routinely steal her mobile phone, then tell her that if she wanted it back she would need to meet them. When she did so, she would have to perform oral sex and was raped. | One girl, "Rochelle", said she was sexually exploited by a street gang over two years. They would routinely steal her mobile phone, then tell her that if she wanted it back she would need to meet them. When she did so, she would have to perform oral sex and was raped. |
| Instances of the abuse were filmed and she was threatened with this footage being circulated around her school. The young men abusing her communicated using an instant messaging service, inviting other gang members to take part in the abuse. | Instances of the abuse were filmed and she was threatened with this footage being circulated around her school. The young men abusing her communicated using an instant messaging service, inviting other gang members to take part in the abuse. |
| Berelowitz has called for agencies to actively look for cases of child sexual exploitation and on-street grooming of young people by gangs of men. She said evidence submitted to her inquiry suggested that from August 2010 to October 2011 at least 2,409 children were sexually exploited by gangs and groups across England. | Berelowitz has called for agencies to actively look for cases of child sexual exploitation and on-street grooming of young people by gangs of men. She said evidence submitted to her inquiry suggested that from August 2010 to October 2011 at least 2,409 children were sexually exploited by gangs and groups across England. |
| She said that each of the children had consistently displayed warning signs of being harmed: some repeatedly went missing; others self-harmed; some repeatedly contracted sexually transmitted infections; many suffered physical injuries; their appearance deteriorated rapidly; some engaged in offending; others misused drugs and alcohol. | She said that each of the children had consistently displayed warning signs of being harmed: some repeatedly went missing; others self-harmed; some repeatedly contracted sexually transmitted infections; many suffered physical injuries; their appearance deteriorated rapidly; some engaged in offending; others misused drugs and alcohol. |
| When professionals were alerted to these signs, victims were identified. | When professionals were alerted to these signs, victims were identified. |
| "Waiting for children to tell will not suffice," she said. "Many children are quite rightly frightened for their personal safety … It is imperative that professionals, parents and carers ask and listen to children, whoever they are, or wherever they come from." | "Waiting for children to tell will not suffice," she said. "Many children are quite rightly frightened for their personal safety … It is imperative that professionals, parents and carers ask and listen to children, whoever they are, or wherever they come from." |
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