Town now 'admirable model' in tackling child sex abuse

An inquiry into child sex crimes in Telford has found all organisations have either met or exceeded expectations in addressing issues raised by its chairman.

The Independent Inquiry into Telford Child Sexual Exploitation looked into progress made by agencies including Telford and Wrekin Council since the previous damning report in 2022.

It said of the 47 recommendations made, 38 had been implemented in full, with a further four in progress.

Tom Crowther KC said he had "seen a council that recognises the stain of the past, but does not attempt to ignore it or erase it."

He added that the council looked to learn from its past and "ensure that the next generations of Telford’s children will be safer than the last."

The inquiry also looked at the progress of West Mercia Police, NHS Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, and West Mercia's Police and Crime Commissioner.

Five recommendations, which were noted as "unable to be implemented", relied upon wider legislative or national change, beyond the capabilities of the organisations.

Mr Crowther described the review as "an admirable model" from which others could learn, and said he hoped it brought reassurance to victims and survivors.

Recommendations for the agencies included the establishment of a joint child sexual exploitation review group which would publish an annual report, a review of the council's child sexual exploitation complaints procedure, and additional or refreshed training across schools, the council, and the local NHS.

Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia John Campion said he welcomed the report, but added there was still more to be done.

"I will continue to use my powers to bring key partners together to deliver change whilst supporting and challenging the chief constable to ensure every single one of the force’s recommendations are implemented in full," he said.

West Mercia Police assured the public that its efforts would not stop, and said it had taken steps to tackle child sexual exploitation, including a dedicated team in Telford and another that targets perpetrators online and in person.

"We are committed to providing a better service to survivors and, in accordance with the recommendations, continue to focus on effective multi-agency working to protect children and young people from child sexual exploitation," said Deputy Chief Constable Richard Cooper.

He added that he "unequivocally apologised" for past failures.

Mark Pritchard, Conservative MP for the Wrekin, said he was pleased that organisations appeared to be learning from the "grievous mistakes of the past."

"Hopefully, fundamental lessons have now been learned, which will avoid any repeat of previous injustices," he added.

Councillor Lee Carter, Telford & Wrekin Council cabinet member for the inquiry, said: "As an authority, we immediately and unconditionally accepted all of the recommendations raised by this inquiry two years ago.

"Since then, we have worked tirelessly to progress this work, determined to deliver the recommended improvements.

"We are pleased with today’s findings but what is clear is that the work does not end here."

Councillor Carter thanked the council's lived-experience consultees, calling them "inspirational people [who] have quite rightly held us to account".

“We thank our lived-experience partners for their invaluable contribution to this critical piece of work to safeguard our community," he said.

In a joint statement, Holly Archer, Scarlett Jones and Joanne Phillips, Telford and Wrekin’s lived experience consultees, said: "Without the input of our lived experience and desire to make a change, the recommendations were just words on paper, at risk of being signed off without being understood.

"We have been able to bring real life to the reason and the resolution for each recommendation and suitable challenge to national guidance, which means some local children will no longer fall through the net.

"We are immensely proud of what Telford & Wrekin Council have achieved and we hope other local authorities will take on board the changes they have made."

The differences between this report and the last, in 2022, are stark.

It said obvious evidence of child sex crimes was ignored for generations, leading to more than 1,000 girls being abused since the 1980s.

Mr Crowther said agencies blamed children for the abuse they suffered, not the perpetrators, and exploitation was not investigated because of "nervousness about race".

It also found reports of child exploitation were dismissed as "child prostitution".

In 2012, seven men were jailed following a police investigation called Operation Chalice, where children as young as 13 were plied with drugs and alcohol and sold for sex by men posing as so-called boyfriends.

West Mercia Police said there could have been 200 perpetrators and more than 100 girls could have been targeted between 2007 and 2009.

In 2016, Telford and Wrekin Council's children and young people scrutiny committee published a report on tackling child sexual exploitation, which said there were "far more" victims than those seeking help.

The eventual inquiry was set up after the Sunday Mirror revealed gangs had been abusing girls in the town since the 1980s, in 2018.

In April that year, Telford and Wrekin Council councillors voted unanimously to set up the independent, council-led inquiry.

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