Latest news with #childExploitation
The Sun
6 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Children convicted of prostitution when they were victims of grooming gangs could have criminal records quashed
CHILDREN convicted of prostitution when they were victims of grooming gangs could have their criminal records quashed. The law has changed to recognise that under-18s in these cases were sexually exploited themselves. 2 Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday: 'The law has changed but there are still people who have been convicted of crimes where they were being exploited, they were the victim of the most horrendous exploitation and they were children. 'Although the law has changed now around prostitution laws, the idea of treating somebody who was a child as a prostitute when they were being exploited, when they were the victim of the most horrendous exploitation including sexual exploitation and rape I think is wrong. 'The law has changed, we now need to look at the action we need to take to make sure that those historic cases are addressed and people don't carry round those criminal records for the rest of their lives for outdated laws and for things that happened in their childhood when they were being exploited.' The Home Secretary had asked all police forces in England and Wales to review historic cases which had been closed with no further action taken. As a result almost 300 cases have been referred to a national taskforce to be reexamined. The Government has refused to open a full national inquiry into grooming gangs, such as those uncovered in Rochdale and Rotherham. Instead, at least five local inquiries will take place to establish why and how children were able to be sexually exploited. 2
Telegraph
30-05-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Kemi Badenoch: Labour letting ‘guilty councils' investigate grooming gangs
Labour is letting 'guilty councils' decide whether or not to investigate their own grooming gang scandals, Kemi Badenoch has warned. Writing for The Telegraph, the Conservative leader said Sir Keir Starmer's party was ' letting down the rape gangs survivors time and again' by refusing to hold a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation. Instead, she said Labour was leaving it to local councils to take the initiative on commissioning inquiries into the problem locally, potentially allowing guilty men to evade justice. Ms Badenoch demanded a statutory national inquiry - with powers to force council staff, police, health workers and charities to give evidence - and will force another vote in the Commons on the issue next month. 'The Labour government have determined that it is for the councils to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally,' she wrote. 'But in doing so, they are ignoring the fact that for decades, girls were trafficked across towns and cities in England. The rape gangs have a presence in over 50 towns. This is a national problem, not a local one.' 'Colluded with police' The opposition leader added: 'In some cases, councils actually turned a blind eye to the abuse and colluded with police to keep this scandal under wraps. 'Local inquiries require potentially guilty councils to choose to investigate themselves. Indeed, it was only after Labour lost control of the council in Oldham that the council requested an inquiry.' The issue of Asian grooming gangs has been described as the 'biggest child protection scandal in UK history', after it emerged that at least 1,400 girls in Rotherham had been sexually abused between 1997 and 2013. Most of the perpetrators were British Pakistanis, and campaigners said police had ignored complaints for fear of being seen as racist or Islamophobic. Since then, similar examples have emerged in Oldham, Telford and dozens of other towns. The scandal shot back into the headlines earlier this year after it emerged that Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister, had turned down government funding for an inquiry into grooming in Oldham. Elon Musk, the tech billionaire, claimed the decision had been taken to protect Sir Keir, a former Director of Public Prosecutions. Labour's Andy Burnham, the Greater Manchester Mayor, also called for an inquiry, as did Rotherham MP Sarah Champion. Earlier this month, Cabinet minister Lucy Powell faced calls to resign after dismissing the grooming gangs scandal as a 'dog whistle' issue. The Leader of the House of Commons accused a political commentator of blowing a 'little trumpet' when he brought up a Channel 4 documentary on the subject. More than 100,000 people have now signed a petition demanding a national inquiry into grooming gangs. A spokesman for Ms Badenoch said the Tories would be putting down an amendment to the Crime and Justice Bill to force a national statutory inquiry into grooming gangs when it comes before the Commons. I won't let Starmer hide from the rape gang scandal Politics moves fast. One day, a scandal dominates the headlines. The next, it vanishes. Governments rely on this chaos to wriggle free from tough questions, and that's exactly what Keir Starmer was doing when he ignored calls for a national inquiry into the rape gangs still ruining lives across our country. But I'm determined to keep this issue in the spotlight. The media and Westminster might move on, but those affected have no such luxury. 'There's too many buzzwords, phrases that they're using like 'we've learned lessons' and 'we hold our hands up'… but they keep making the same mistakes.' That was the reply of one survivor when I asked if she felt the Labour government was doing enough to deliver justice for the likely tens of thousands of girls and boys who, over decades, were brutally abused by rape gangs; men whose values had no place in Britain. Since the start of the year, I have been meeting survivors of these odious gangs, hearing their stories and asking what it is they want to see. There is a deep mistrust of those in power. It's hardly surprising when one of Keir Starmer's most powerful ministers, Leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell, dismissed the issue as 'dog whistle' and described those raising the problem as blowing 'that little trumpet'. Thoughtless words like Powell's not only reinforce the mistrust, they also rightly cast doubt on what little the Labour government have announced. Last week, I met a survivor at her home in Bradford. She told me: 'The world is now watching Oldham' (the only council to come forward with a request for one of Labour's local inquiries), 'and we are going to get it wrong' This simply isn't good enough. From arrogant dismissals that reveal their true thoughts on the issue, to U-turns on inquiries and funding, Labour is letting down the rape gangs survivors time and again. Worse still, every survivor I speak to – and many of the police and council whistleblowers – believe this is a problem still going on. That is why I won't stop my call for a statutory inquiry that forces us to confront this horror and gets to the truth about the extent of the abuse and the cover-ups and makes sure it never happens again. And it is not just me calling for this, nor the many victims who tell me a statutory inquiry is needed to serve justice. More than 140,000 people have now signed the Conservatives' petition for a statutory inquiry. Alongside them, politicians from independent MP Rupert Lowe to Labour MP Sarah Champion and Labour's Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham have all expressed support for a full inquiry. Yet the Labour government have determined that it is for the councils to decide to commission an inquiry into child sexual exploitation locally. But in doing so, they are ignoring the fact that for decades, girls were trafficked across towns and cities in England. The rape gangs have a presence in over 50 towns. This is a national problem, not a local one. Labour is exhibiting the same attitude encountered by many of the whistleblowers who tried to help these girls. Many were shamefully ignored by those who could have intervened. Why? Because of a system in which people were too scared to act, or worse, incentivised to protect perpetrators and demonise victims. We need to ensure that the culture and bureaucracy that allowed this cover-up to happen are properly scrutinised. We know for a fact that compromised officials are still working in the public sector and have not yet been held accountable. Only a national inquiry can compel witnesses from the police, charities and the NHS to give evidence under oath. In some cases, councils actually turned a blind eye to the abuse and colluded with police to keep this scandal under wraps. Local inquiries require potentially guilty councils to choose to investigate themselves. Indeed, it was only after Labour lost control of the council in Oldham that the council requested an inquiry. There has been some good work. The Alexis Jay inquiry produced some important recommendations, most of which the Conservative government accepted. But the Jay inquiry didn't seek to reveal the cover-up or expose who was responsible. The Conservative government set up the Grooming Gangs Taskforce, which helped police forces identify and protect over 4,000 victims and contributed to 500 arrests in 12 months. But it is clear we still need to go further, and only a national inquiry will do the job. So, we are going to force another vote on the floor of parliament for a national inquiry into rape gangs. I urge all MPs to vote for truth and justice for the victims. Be part of the solution, not the problem. This is an issue of national integrity.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Florida suspect in missing teen's disappearance self-surrenders, police arrest additional suspect
Related video: Father of missing Utah girl speaks after 2 out-of-state men charged in connection to her disappearance SOUTH JORDAN, Utah () — The in connection with the disappearance of self-surrendered to the South Jordan Police Department Wednesday evening, and South Jordan Police also arrested a third suspect in connection with the case. According to a press release, Matthew Menard, 35, of Miami, Florida turned himself in the South Jordan Police Department for charges of Aggravated Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Enticement of a Minor, and Criminal Solicitation. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Utah man, 41, messaged missing 15-year-old girl days before she disappeared: Documents South Jordan Police also confirmed that they identified a third adult man in connection with the case, Samuel Mitchell from Herriman, Utah. Mitchell was arrested on charges for Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Both suspects were booked into the Salt Lake County Jail. This comes a day after reported that Mitchell was in her disappearance, as he allegedly communicated with Petrov on the Discord app. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Men from Texas, Florida charged in connection to disappearance of 15-year-old Utah girl South Jordan Police stated that it will continue its efforts to locate Alisa and follow other leads. 'Alisa is listed as a Runaway Juvenile who is endangered,' police stated, 'Any knowledge of her whereabouts should be reported to Law Enforcement immediately.' Anyone with information about the whereabouts of Alisa Petrov has been asked to call 801-840-4000 and reference South Jordan Case #SJ25-11568. Alisa Petrov, 15, was dropped off at school in American Fork, Utah, on April 21. Instead of going to school, family members said the teenager boarded a train toward Provo, Utah. Family members said nearby security footage shows the teenager walking away, and she hasn't been found since. She is said to be about 5'3″ tall and weigh about 122 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. She is listed as a runaway juvenile and is said to be endangered. According to the , Alisa was last seen wearing a grey Harvard University shirt, a black hoodie, baggy jeans, and a dark backpack. It was later reported that she may have been trying to get to Las Vegas, and another tip revealed that she may have been communicating with a man in Texas. Officials in Texas City posted on social media on May 9 to ask for the public's help in the search for Alisa. As of May 16, Alisa's family was reporting that she still has not been found. Charges are allegations only. All arrested persons are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- BBC News
South Shields paedophile sent girl in USA sex messages
A paedophile sent sexual messages to a 14-year-old girl in the USA and collected images of children as young as three being raped, a court has Troughton, 22, amassed more than 1,000 indecent images of children, including more than 350 in the most serious category, over an eight-year period, Newcastle Crown Court was cautioned for making an indecent image in 2021 but ignored the "warning across his bows" and escalated his offending, Judge Tim Gittins who admitted attempting to engage in sexual communications with a child and three counts of making indecent images of children, was jailed for 16 months suspended for two years. Northumbria Police raided his home in Gateshead and seized his iPhone on 5 April 2023 after receiving information he had shared indecent images, prosecutor Omar Ahmad phone was found to contain 352 of the most serious Category A images, 356 Category B images and 518 Category C, as well as two extreme pornographic videos, the court also found Snapchat messages he had been exchanging with the girl in the USA, who told him she was requested naked pictures of her, with the girl sending him graphic videos of herself, Mr Ahmad also told the girl it was "so sad" she lived far away as he would have "loved to meet" her, the court heard. 'Abhorrent' and 'sickening' He made full admissions to police, telling officers he started looking at indecent images of children in 2015 when he was 16, the court mitigation, Fiona Lamb said Troughton, of George Scott Street in South Shields, had had a traumatic life but Judge Gittins said so had many people and they had not resorted to such court heard Troughton had no previous convictions but had received a police caution in 2021 for sending a Category C image of a child on judge said that had been a shot across the bows" but Troughton had continued with and increased the "gravity" of his Gittins said the images were "abhorrent" and "sickening", but he agreed with Probation Service experts who said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation in Troughton's sentence will include intensive work with the Probation Service and he will have to comply with a sexual harm prevention order limiting his access to the internet and children and sign the sex offenders register for 10 years. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Yahoo
BBC uncovers child sex abuse in South Africa's illegal mines
This story contains details, including a video, that some people may find distressing. The most shocking thing for Jonathan, who had endured six gruelling months living and working underground in an abandoned South African gold mine, was the abuse he witnessed being meted out to children. Some are recruited for cheap labour, but others are brought in specifically for sex, campaigners say. Jonathan, now in his late 20s, had migrated to South Africa from a nearby country on the promise of making easy money working in one of its dozens of disused mines, closed by multinationals because they were no longer commercially viable. We are protecting his full identity as he fears reprisals from the vicious criminal gangs that run the illegal mining industry for speaking to the media. Details of what the young people were going though emerged after the death of dozens of illegal miners near the town of Stilfontein late last year when the mine was blockaded by police. In a calm and steady voice, Jonathan describes the heat, long hours and limited food and sleeping options which took a toll on his body. But an enduring memory is what happened to the underage miners in the shaft where he worked. "I used to see these kids in the mine - teenagers actually, 15, 17-year-olds. "Others used to take advantage of them sometimes. It was a little bit scary, and I wasn't comfortable with it." He said they were raped by adult miners who promised to give them some of the gold they found in exchange for sex. "If that kid is desperate for money, he will take the risk." Jonathan describes how the children would approach teams of miners for protection but "that team would have conditions". Sex was also used as punishment if the teenagers failed to complete a task for their team. Jonathan says the children in the mine where he worked were all foreign and did not realise what they were getting themselves into. Mining researcher and activist Makhotla Sefuli backs this up. He says criminal gangs specifically target children to work in illegal mines across South Africa. Many of them are abducted from neighbouring countries and trafficked. They are enticed by baseless promises of finding them employment in the formal mining industry. "Their passports are confiscated when they get to South Africa… It is common knowledge that these young boys are being abused," Mr Sefuli says. The BBC has spoken to miners who worked in at least two other illegal mines who told us they saw children being abused in the shafts where they were working. Tshepo, not his real name, says he saw older men forcing young boys to have sex with them underground. "In some instances, they did it for the money. Some are recruited solely for that purpose, because of the financial incentives that will come with the practice of maybe trading sex underground." He adds that the abuse deeply affected the children. "They change their behaviour patterns and have trust issues. They don't want you to get close to them, because they feel that they can no longer trust anyone." South Africa's illegal mining industry made global headlines last year following a standoff between police and miners at the Buffelsfontein gold mine, near the town of Stilfontein in the North West Province. Trapped underground with decaying bodies, miners faced a dark reality Inside South Africa's 'ruthless' gang-controlled gold mines The authorities had been trying to curb illegal mining, which the government said cost South Africa's economy $3.2bn (£2.6bn) in lost revenue last year. They launched an operation called Vala Umgodi, or seal the hole, in December 2023, promising to take a tough stance on the gangs. As part of the operation, the police limited the amount of food and water that went down the Stilfontein mine to, as one minister put it, "smoke out" the illegal miners. Officials said the men were refusing to come out for fear of being arrested. Soon footage began to emerge from within the mine showing dozens of emaciated men begging to be rescued, as well as rows of body bags. Eventually a court ordered the authorities to save the men. Among those brought up were many who said they were underage, but as a number of them were migrants without documents confirming how old they were, the authorities carried out medical tests to get an estimate. Through this, the Department of Social Development (DSD) confirmed that 31 of the rescued Stilfontein miners were found to be children. They were all Mozambicans nationals and in November, 27 of them were repatriated. Save the Children South Africa helped translate some of the interviews between the underage miners and the rescue workers. "They went through trauma, because some of them also saw others being sexually exploited," the charity's CEO Gugu Xaba tells the BBC. "Just the feeling that they may not come out of there destroyed those children mentally. "The adult miners would start by grooming them, by acting like they like them." She says the children were then made to perform sexual acts on the adults and they were then raped, days after day. "You find that the adult will have three or four of them that they are doing the same thing to." Ms Xaba says mining gangs recruit children because they are easier to manipulate and cheaper. "Children don't understand when you say: 'I'll pay you 20 rands ($1; £0.80) per day.' The adults sometimes refuse to work, but children find themselves with no choice. So it's easier to use a child to do the work. It's easier to take a child who's kind of voiceless and to bring them down there." Beyond being exploited financially, she says there are gangs that recruit children specifically for sex. Many illegal miners spend months underground, rarely going up to the surface. Markets spring up underground to provide them with anything they need. "Most children are trafficked in order to be used as sex slaves. And you've got a pimp who is taking the money, and it means every day this child is used as a commercial sex worker." The BBC asked the police and the DSD whether anyone would be charged over the sexual abuse allegations. They did not respond to our requests. A source working on the Stilfontein miners' cases said many of the children did not want to testify. Meanwhile, the illegal mining industry continues to thrive. And with an estimated 6,000 vacant mines potentially available to explore, it is a business that is unlikely to end anytime soon, leaving thousands of vulnerable children at risk. Racially charged row between Musk and South Africa over Starlink The expelled envoy at the heart of the latest US-South Africa row Race policies or Israel - what's really driving Trump's fury with South Africa? Even in his final seconds of life, first gay imam pushed boundaries Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
