Grooming children for sex still a 'hidden issue'

Police, social services and charities were accused today of seriously underestimating the number of children being groomed for sex. Authorities are failing to properly investigate the problem which the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) describes as a "hidden issue," an assessment for ministers reportedly warned. Ceop chief Peter Davies launched the investigation into localised grooming after former home secretary Jack Straw accused some Pakistani men in Britain of seeing white girls as "easy meat" for sexual abuse. Children's charity Barnardo's, Muslim youth group the Ramadhan Foundation and retired detective chief superintendent Max McLean, who led a previous investigation into sexual exploitation involving young girls in Leeds, all said Mr Straw was wrong to highlight one community.

It’s horrible that so many children get sexually abused, but it doesn’t get recognized. They actually neglect the fact that this is happening. Authorities think that a lot of children just ran away or went missing. They hardly think of the fact that these children might get kidnapped for sex. I would be so mad if it was my child who went missing and it turned out he/she got sexually abused. The authorities should at least consider this possibility. It should be one of the first they think of and investigate!

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/106072

By Adrian Roberts