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Rotherham child abusers 'brazen', says care home worker Rotherham child abusers 'brazen', says care home worker
(about 1 hour later)
Rotherham's abusers "brazenly" picked up girls as young as 11 from their children's home, an ex-worker says. A former Rotherham care home worker has told the BBC how girls as young as 11 were "brazenly" groomed and abused in the South Yorkshire town.
The unnamed male care worker said the abusers made "absolutely no attempts to disguise what they were doing." The man, who worked at children's homes for four years, said girls would be picked up by taxis and abusers made "no attempts to disguise" their actions.
He claimed staff were reluctant to intervene in some cases for fear of being classed as "racist". A report published on Tuesday found at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited from 1997 to 2013.
A report found that at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the town by men predominantly of Pakistani heritage between 1997 and 2013. Those in charge of care services at the time have faced calls to resign.
The abuse they suffered included beatings, rape and trafficking to various towns and cities in England, Prof Alexis Jay's report revealed on Tuesday. They include Sonia Sharp, who ran Rotherham's children's services department from 2003 to 2008 and is now in charge of education services in the Australian state of Victoria.
The care worker told the BBC men would arrive almost "every night" and often the girls, who lived at the home and escaped using a range of methods, would be collected by taxis. Andrew Collins, an advocate for historical abuse survivors, said Ms Sharp should resign "immediately" from her current job because her position was now "inappropriate".
'Have you stabbed' A care worker, who worked at children's homes from 2003-2007, told the BBC men would arrive almost "every night" to collect girls, who escaped using a range of methods and were then usually driven off in taxis.
"Sometimes, [the men] would phone and they would pick up around the corner, but sometimes they would just turn up and pick up at the children's home," he said. The carer, who wished to remain anonymous, claimed staff were reluctant to intervene in some cases for fear of being classed as "racist".
"Sometimes, [the men] would phone and they would pick up around the corner, but sometimes they would just turn up and pick up at the children's home," the care worker said.
"It depended on how brazen they were or how much heat they thought was on at the time."It depended on how brazen they were or how much heat they thought was on at the time.
"They did genuinely think who was on shift, who would be likely to go outside the children's unit."They did genuinely think who was on shift, who would be likely to go outside the children's unit.
"I used to make a deliberate attempt to let them know that I had clocked their car, that I was taking their registration plate.""I used to make a deliberate attempt to let them know that I had clocked their car, that I was taking their registration plate."
He said he confronted some of the men, despite warnings from his colleagues some carried knives. 'Have you shot'
Incidents documented He said he confronted some of the men, despite warnings from his colleagues that some carried knives.
"They would laugh it off with a good smirk," he continued. "They would laugh it off with a good smirk," he said.
"It was very much about the drug culture and the alcohol and the party.
"They would sometimes say that they would have you stabbed or shot by one of their associates.""They would sometimes say that they would have you stabbed or shot by one of their associates."
Each time a girl went missing police were called, but officers usually only arrived when the child got back to the home, sometimes "high on drugs" or "incredibly drunk", he said. Police were called each time a girl went missing, but officers usually only arrived when the child got back to the home, sometimes "high on drugs" or "incredibly drunk", our source said.
"They led us very much on a merry dance and there wasn't much we could do apart from keep documenting," he said. "They led us very much on a merry dance and there wasn't much we could do apart from keep documenting,.
"And we documented every single night, and we spoke to social workers. The social workers were passing that on."And we documented every single night, and we spoke to social workers. The social workers were passing that on.
"Everything we passed on, nothing seemed to go further in any way shape or form.""Everything we passed on, nothing seemed to go further in any way shape or form."
'Horrific cases' 'Struggling for love'
He said he eventually left the home over his frustrations he was failing the children in his care and said he was not surprised at the revelations in Prof Jay's report. He said he eventually left the home over his frustrations he was failing the children in his care and said he was not surprised at recent revelations of widespread and long-running abuse in the town.
"These young people have already been sexually abused, in many cases," he said. "These young people have already been sexually abused, in many cases," he said, but children who have been abused do not blame their attacker simply because they "are struggling for love".
"The abused very rarely blame the abuser.
"There were some horrific cases of abuse within the family and yet they still loved their parent."
He said children who have been abused do not blame their attacker simply because they "are struggling for love".
"[But] you cannot provide love in a children's unit," he said."[But] you cannot provide love in a children's unit," he said.
"It's one thing that you can't provide, and as a corporate parent it's where we fail. " "It's one thing that you can't provide, and as a corporate parent it's where we fail.
"And if [the abusers] are providing that, plus drugs, and alcohol and freedoms, or perceived freedoms, then we're never going to be able to keep them safe.""And if [the abusers] are providing that, plus drugs, and alcohol and freedoms, or perceived freedoms, then we're never going to be able to keep them safe."
Meanwhile South Yorkshire Police continues to face criticism and the Independent Police Complaints Commission has told the force it should be informed of all "evidence of failures" in the way it acted.
On Thursday Tracey Cheetham, deputy police and crime commissioner for South Yorkshire, resigned and backed calls for her boss Shaun Wright to step down.
Mr Wright resigned from the Labour Party on Thursday but has refused to quit from his position as police and crime commissioner (PCC), despite also being urged to by Nick Clegg and Labour.
Earlier this week Sonia Sharp apologised for failures in Rotherham and was backed by her boss at Victoria's department of education, Richard Bolt, who said: "I have no doubt that Sonia tackled the issue of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham with maximum commitment, professionalism and focus."
Ms Sharp gave evidence to Professor Alexis Jay's report, which was published on Tuesday and heavily criticised senior officials at Rotherham Council.
Prof Jay's report revealed children in Rotherham suffered abuse included beatings, rape and trafficking to various towns and cities in England.