'1,400 children abused' in English town: Pressure on police chief to quit

Pressure is growing on South Yorkshire’s Police Commissioner to resign in the wake of the Rotherham abuse scandal, after it emerged he was once a councillor with responsibility for children’s services there. A damning report has revealed more than 1,400 children were victims of abuse there between 1997 and 2013. It detailed examples of 11-year-olds being gang raped and children being forced to watch violent sex abuse while being threatened that they would be next.

The apologies we have heard are totally insincere and go nowhere near repairing the damage done.

UKIP Yorkshire and Humber MEP Jane Collins

It has emerged authorities in the town “could and should” have done more to stop the abuse but did not listen to children trying to report it. Shaun Wright was a Labour councillor for Rotherham until he was elected Police Commissioner in 2012, and was in charge of children’s services from 2005 to 2010. Colin Ross, the leader of the Lib Dem group on Sheffield City Council, said it is “difficult to see how local people can have confidence in him to continue as our Police and Crime Commissioner”. The leader of Rotherham Council, Roger Stone, stepped down with immediate effect following the publication of the report.

The Commissioner has previously apologised for the failure of Rotherham Council while he was in its cabinet from 2005 to 2010.

Spokesman for Shaun Wright

rotherham Europe